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BackFootball Leaks founder Rui Pinto accuses FIFA president Gianni Infantino of being a 'cancer on football'
Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto accuses FIFA president Gianni Infantino of being a 'cancer on football'
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BBC Sport2 hours agoSports2 min read

Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto accuses FIFA president Gianni Infantino of being a 'cancer on football'

Quick Look

  • Rui Pinto, creator of Football Leaks, accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of abusing his authority as UEFA general secretary to help Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain avoid stricter Financial Fair Play sanctions, calling Infantino a 'cancer on football' who should have no place in the sport's future.
  • The allegations stem from 2018 Football Leaks documents that triggered Premier League and UEFA investigations into City's financial breaches over a nine-year period.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The Premier League investigation into Manchester City's financial rules breaches was launched after information from Football Leaks was released in 2018 via Der Spiegel, triggering separate investigations by UEFA and the Premier League into alleged Financial Fair Play violations over a nine-year period.

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The computer hacker who released documents which led to the Premier League investigation into Manchester City says Fifa president Gianni Infantino "should have no place in the future of the game".

City have been found guilty of all breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period, though they continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal.

The Premier League investigation was launched following information released into the public domain by the Football Leaks website in 2018, via German publication Der Spiegel, and following a separate investigation by European football's governing body Uefa.

In a message on X, external, Rui Pinto, creator of Football Leaks, repeated allegations from 2018 that Infantino intervened to help City and Paris St-Germain avoid financial fair play sanctions from European football's governing body Uefa.

According to a report by Der Spiegel, external, the clubs overvalued sponsorship deals to help meet FFP rules and, when facing sanctions over the matter, the allegations in the documents state Infantino helped arrange more lenient punishments for them in 2014.

A PSG statement at the time said it "has always acted in full compliance with the laws and regulations enacted by sports institutions" and it "denies the allegations".

"Since the introduction of Financial Fair Play, Paris St-Germain have been one of the most audited and scrutinised clubs in history," the club added.

"Back in 2014, there was a man who was already aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City," 37-year-old Portuguese Pinto wrote on Wednesday.

"The infamous Gianni Infantino, then Uefa general secretary, abused his authority, shared confidential documents and, in short, outmanoeuvred the investigatory chamber, doing everything in his power to ensure that both Manchester City and PSG would merely receive a fine, avoiding a deeper investigation that could have led to a Champions League ban.

"All of these details were also revealed through Football Leaks.

"Given his actions as Uefa general secretary and, more recently, as Fifa president, I can only say, in my humble opinion, that Gianni Infantino has become a cancer on football and should have no place in the future of the game."

When the allegations first surfaced, Uefa stressed that it was within the remit of the general secretary to assist in such matters, adding: "This may include discussions, meetings, assistance to help find solutions, and other interactions to assist the [investigating body] in its work."

Infantino similarly pointed to how his "job entails having discussions, having conversations, exchanging documents, drafts, ideas, whatever, on many, many, many, many, topics."

"So if then this is being portrayed as something bad, I think there's not much I can do more than my job in an honest way, in a professional way and trying to defend the interests of football."

BBC Sport has contacted Fifa following Pinto's latest statement.

Infantino has come under increasing pressure following his now-shelved plans to sell stakes in the World Cup.

European football's governing body Uefa accused Infantino of "criminal mismanagement" over the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, while the Swiss Football Association (SFV) is the latest association to withdraw its support for the Fifa president.

"The decision follows a comprehensive reassessment of developments over the past few months," an SFV statement read.

"From the SFV's perspective, various incidents raise fundamental questions regarding leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making processes within Fifa."

Both Fifa and Uefa are based in Switzerland.

Infantino will stand for election for a fourth time in March 2027, with his opponents having until 18 November to find an alternative candidate.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Manchester City will submit an appeal against the Premier League's guilty verdict before the October 2 deadline.

    Likely · Within weeks

  • Gianni Infantino will face increased scrutiny and potential challenges to his leadership ahead of the 2027 FIFA presidential election.

    Likely · Within months

Open Questions

  • Will Manchester City appeal the Premier League's guilty verdict before the October 2 deadline?
  • What specific evidence does Rui Pinto have to support his allegations against Gianni Infantino?
  • How will the Swiss Football Association's withdrawal of support affect Gianni Infantino's re-election bid for FIFA president in 2027?

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This article was originally published by BBC Sport.

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