Rui Pinto says he is making plans to leave Portugal over concerns for his personal security after being notified that his place in the country’s witness protection scheme is ending.
The founder of Football Leaks said he has faced “numerous death threats” and believes there is “a genuine danger of an attempt on my life” following Wednesday’s notification from Portuguese officials. The decision came two days after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of 115 charges in a case initiated after Pinto disclosed thousands of confidential documents.
In a statement published on Friday, he said the circumstances and timing of the removal of his protection had exposed him to a severe security risk. “On 30 September 2026, only hours after the ruling officially established Manchester City’s guilt, the commission overseeing Portugal’s witness protection scheme told me that my participation would end and my police security would be withdrawn, despite knowing that this would put my life in danger,” he wrote on X.
“Under these conditions, I have no choice but to move within the coming days to a confidential location, where I will remain for an unspecified period. I have received numerous death threats and face a genuine risk of being targeted. I have therefore launched a GoFundMe campaign and am seeking public assistance to help me endure this dangerous situation created by the Portuguese state, which, as I have previously said, has knowingly endangered my life.”
The fundraising campaign has a goal of €3m (£2.55m) and collected €4,000 within 30 minutes of going live. Pinto also thanked those who continue to stand behind Football Leaks and insisted that its efforts would continue.
Lawyers representing the 37-year-old previously confirmed that they intend to challenge the Portuguese authorities’ decision. They warned that removing his security would make him “more exposed than at any time since 2020”. According to them, the measure was adopted without allowing Pinto to present his case, amounting to a disregard for the rule of law.
In a submission to Portugal’s Ministry of Justice, his legal team urged the government to review the decision, reveal the evidence behind its latest threat assessment and maintain his protective arrangements.
“His circumstances have become critical,” his lawyers said. “The danger is not hypothetical, as he was attacked in Lisbon last April. His disclosures involved influential people with considerable resources, while several related legal cases remain active. This is illustrated by the ruling delivered only days ago by the Premier League’s independent commission regarding Manchester City. With his secure accommodation suddenly removed and his position now extremely unstable, Rui Pinto is more vulnerable than he has been at any stage since 2020.”
Pinto joined Portugal’s protection scheme after assisting the nation’s judicial authorities. Information he disclosed has since been used by courts, tax agencies and sporting regulators throughout Europe, including in the Premier League inquiry into suspected financial misconduct by Manchester City. His lawyers maintain that officials must consider both his assistance to investigators and the persistent dangers arising from his disclosures before withdrawing protection.
His legal representatives added that both the decision and the process used to reach it undermined the rule of law and amounted to an act of state terrorism, which they said they could not accept.
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