How Rui Pinto accessed PSG and Manchester City emails: Rui Pinto's plot

In 2019, while awaiting at the Metropolitan Court of Budapest, Hungary, the decision on his extradition to Portugal, Rui Pinto, creator of Football Leaks according to the AP agency in Barcelona, was under the gaze of international justice.

At the same time, the 38‑year‑old Portuguese computer scientist, a Porto fan, had gone from exposing irregularities in Portuguese league transfers to hacking European clubs such as PSG and Manchester City, amassing 70 million data records through phishing.

Hacking of European clubs

He accessed the clubs' email inboxes and anonymously posted the information on the “Football Leaks” blog.

That leak forced Manchester City to appear before the courts.

According to correspondent Tariq Panja, the New York Times explained that, thanks to the revelations of Football Leaks, the Premier League was forced to examine the case thoroughly.

Pinto, according to Panja, managed to uncover something that football authorities were unable or unwilling to do for many years.

“There is a serious risk that an assassination attempt could be made against me,” Pinto himself declared.

He has reported death threats following Manchester City's indictment last September.

After the accusation of 114 financial fair‑play charges against the English club, Pinto spent six years as a protected witness in Portugal in exchange for sharing and decrypting the millions of data seized during his arrest.

Days after the September 26 verdict, the Portuguese Justice system decided that he should no longer be a protected witness.

Pinto and his lawyers claim his life is in danger and, according to journalist Miguel Dantas, he has regained official protection until his final status is defined, warning that it could be withdrawn at any moment.

To cover legal expenses and his hidden life, he has raised €28 000, but needs €3 million.