Rui Pinto, the whistleblower behind the Football Leaks platform whose disclosures helped trigger investigations into the finances of some of European football’s biggest clubs, is facing renewed security concerns after Portuguese authorities moved to end the protection measures he has received since 2020.
Pinto’s lawyers say the decision could leave the 37-year-old computer expert exposed to serious risks at a time when threats against him remain active and legal proceedings connected to his disclosures are still ongoing.
In a joint statement released on Friday, October 2, Pinto’s Portuguese lawyers, Francisco and Luisa Teixeira da Mota, and his French legal representatives, William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth, said their client was formally informed on Wednesday that his specialized security program would end on October 10.
According to the lawyers, the protection arrangement has been in place since August 2020. They said Pinto was not given a prior hearing before the decision was made and warned that he could soon lose the secure accommodation provided under the program.
The legal team said Pinto would then have to find a new home at short notice, while there was no guarantee that police protection would continue. They described the decision as one with immediate and potentially serious consequences for his safety.
The lawyers also pointed to a physical assault Pinto suffered in Lisbon in April as evidence that the security concerns surrounding him have not disappeared. They argue that ending his protected accommodation and related security arrangements could leave him particularly vulnerable.
Pinto became internationally known after creating Football Leaks, a platform that published confidential football documents beginning in 2015. The material offered an unprecedented look into the financial affairs of clubs, players, agents and other powerful figures in European football.
Millions of encrypted documents were eventually made available to investigators and journalists. European media organizations worked together to examine the material, which contained information relating to suspected financial irregularities, tax arrangements and other practices within the football industry.
The disclosures also became relevant to investigations surrounding Manchester City’s finances. Pinto’s leaked material helped provide information used in inquiries into the club, although the existence of leaked documents should not itself be confused with proof of every allegation made against individuals or organizations named in them.
Pinto’s relationship with Portuguese authorities changed significantly after his arrest in Hungary in January 2019. He was later extradited to Portugal, where he spent more than a year in pre-trial detention. During his cooperation with investigators, he gave authorities access to a large volume of encrypted material connected to his activities.
That cooperation eventually became an important part of his legal circumstances. Pinto was convicted in Portugal in September 2023 and received a suspended four-year prison sentence for attempted extortion, unlawful access to data and violations involving correspondence.
Despite the conviction, his lawyers say Pinto has continued to cooperate with investigations in several European countries. That cooperation, they argue, has also contributed to the continuing security risks he faces.
The decision to end his protection therefore comes at a sensitive point. Pinto’s case sits at the intersection of criminal law, whistleblowing and the increasingly international investigations into the financial structures surrounding professional football.
His lawyers are now challenging the decision and have raised concerns about what could happen once the existing protection arrangements expire on October 10. Their central argument is that the threats Pinto faces have not ended and that removing his protected accommodation without first allowing him to respond could place him in unnecessary danger.
For Pinto, whose disclosures brought confidential football finances into the public arena and helped investigators examine the activities of some of the sport’s most influential figures, the end of his protected status could mark a significant new chapter in a case that has already stretched across several European countries.
