Rui Pinto, the whistleblower behind the Football Leaks platform, has launched a scathing critique of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Pinto asserted that the head of world football's governing body should be completely excluded from the sport's future.
The remarks follow the high-profile Premier League investigation into Manchester City, which centered on documents originally brought to light by Pinto's website in 2018. Manchester City was recently found to have committed numerous breaches of financial regulations over a nearly decade-long span. The reigning English champions have consistently maintained their innocence and face an upcoming deadline to launch an appeal.
Writing on social media, Pinto accused Infantino of misusing his previous position as the general secretary of UEFA. According to the whistleblower, Infantino improperly shared internal information and intervened behind the scenes to shield both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain from severe penalties in 2014. The leaked files previously indicated that both clubs inflated corporate sponsorship agreements to bypass financial fair play regulations, securing lighter financial penalties rather than facing potential tournament exclusions.
Both clubs have historically pushed back against these claims. Paris Saint-Germain previously defended its regulatory compliance, emphasizing that the organization remains one of the most thoroughly examined entities in sporting history.
When these allegations first emerged years ago, UEFA officials defended the general secretary's administrative role, explaining that engaging in discussions and exploring collaborative solutions falls within normal operational duties. Infantino himself has consistently maintained that his past actions simply involved executing his professional responsibilities and communicating with various stakeholders to protect the broader interests of the sport.
Beyond the historical financial leaks, Infantino is facing a mounting wave of governance pressure. European football leadership previously criticized the FIFA president regarding proposals for the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, while the Swiss Football Association recently revoked its backing for his upcoming leadership bid.
The Swiss national association cited concerns regarding transparency, leadership practices, and overall organizational governance following a thorough review of recent events. Infantino is currently scheduled to seek a fourth term in office during the upcoming FIFA presidential election, with challengers facing a mid-November deadline to register alternative candidates.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
