English Premier League
Rui Pinto calls for Gianni Infantino to resign over Manchester City investigation
Rui Pinto, the founder of Football Leaks, has accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of obstructing investigations into Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, claiming he helped ensure both clubs avoided more serious sanctions.
Pinto said Infantino, who was UEFA General Secretary in 2014, knew about alleged irregularities involving Manchester City and misused his authority by sharing confidential documents and hampering investigators’ work.
The claims come as Manchester City awaits possible punishment after an independent commission found the club guilty of all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial rules over nine seasons, between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
The Premier League announced that Manchester City had also been found guilty of three of four allegations relating to a failure to co-operate with its investigation. The club has denied wrongdoing.
Media outlets have continued to publish details surrounding the case, ahead of a decision on sanctions that could be severe. Pinto’s Football Leaks disclosures in 2018 helped pave the way for the investigation into Manchester City.
Writing on X, Pinto said: “In 2014, there was a man who was already aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City. Gianni Infantino, the infamous UEFA General Secretary at the time, abused his authority, shared confidential documents and, in short, outmanoeuvred the investigators.”
He added: “He did everything in his power to ensure that both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain received only a financial fine, thereby avoiding a more comprehensive investigation that could have led to their exclusion from the Champions League.”
The comments were reported by Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo on Thursday. Pinto argued that Infantino should resign and should have no role in determining the future of football because of his alleged involvement in the cases involving Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Pinto also referred to pressure on Infantino in the months before the 2027 FIFA election, although the source did not provide further details.
Infantino became FIFA president after previously serving as UEFA General Secretary. Pinto’s post, published on X on 30 September 2026, repeated his claim that the person who knew about Manchester City’s alleged irregularities in 2014 now leads FIFA.