Man City whistleblower Rui Pinto loses protected witness status in Portugal after 'historic' guilty verdict

The Portuguese authorities have reportedly withdrawn protected witness status for Rui Pinto, the central figure behind the Football Leaks revelations that exposed the inner workings of Manchester City’s finances. The 37-year-old whistleblower has now been advised to exercise extreme caution regarding his personal safety and social media activity.

According to The Guardian , Portuguese authorities have officially revoked Pinto’s protected witness status. The 37-year-old hacker, who founded the Football Leaks website, originally entered the state protection programme in 2020 after granting police access to millions of confidential files.

Despite a physical assault in Lisbon last April which left Pinto with a bruised eyebrow, local police have controversially deemed the current threat to his safety as low. Officials have reportedly advised the Portuguese national to strictly limit his social media usage and remain vigilant during family interactions.