Pinto launches £2.55m fund as Portugal ends his protection after Premier League verdict

In a cramped Lisbon café on 3 October 2026, Rui Pinto stared at his laptop screen, the notification flashing that his special security programme would cease on 10 October. The former Football Leaks hacker, whose hacked emails ignited the Premier League’s investigation into Manchester City’s finances, is now scrambling to raise over £2.55 million to relocate.

Loss of witness protection in Portugal

Since August 2020, Pinto had lived under a Portuguese witness‑protection scheme after agreeing to supply authorities with confidential Football Leaks documents. His lawyers said the programme will end on 10 October, leaving him without the protected residence he has occupied for six years.

“In just a few days, without having been heard beforehand, as the law requires, he will lose the protected and confidential residence that was assigned to him and will be forced to urgently find new housing, with no guarantee that police protection will be maintained,” the statement read.

Fundraising drive and immediate threats

To fund an undisclosed relocation, Pinto launched a GoFundMe campaign targeting £2.55 million (€3 million). Early contributions have totalled just over £14 000 (€16 582). He cited “multiple death threats and the serious risk of an assassination attempt” as the reason for the urgent move.

“I am asking for everyone's support to help me survive this serious situation created by the Portuguese State, which, as I have already stated, has knowingly decided to place my life at risk,” Pinto wrote in his personal appeal.

His situation is precarious; last April he was assaulted in Lisbon, and the threats are described as more than theoretical. The 37‑year‑old was handed a four‑year suspended sentence in 2020 for illegal data access and attempted extortion, during which he wore a bullet‑proof vest in court.

The revelations he published through Football Leaks included thousands of confidential documents, notably emails from inside Manchester City that formed the basis for Der Spiegel’s 2018 reporting. Those leaks triggered probes by UEFA and the Premier League, the latter delivering a guilty verdict on all serious breaches of its financial regulations this week.

Manchester City continues to deny any wrongdoing, insisting it has “irrefutable evidence” of innocence and has appealed the decision. Daily Mail Sport reported that the club’s defence will argue commercial contracts were funded by the Abu Dhabi government rather than owner‑related “sham” deals.