Rui Pinto calls for Gianni Infantino to resign over Manchester City allegations

Rui Pinto, the founder of Football Leaks, has accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of helping Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain avoid a wider investigation into alleged financial rule breaches.

Pinto said Infantino was fully aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City and should resign because of his role in the handling of investigations into the two clubs.

His comments come as the football world awaits possible sanctions against Manchester City after an independent commission found the club guilty of every charge relating to breaches of Premier League financial rules across nine seasons, from 2009/10 to 2017/18.

Manchester City were also found guilty of three of the four allegations that they failed to co-operate with the league’s investigation.

The findings were announced by the Premier League, with the prospect of severe punishment now hanging over the English club.

Writing on X, Pinto said: “Back in 2014, there was a man who was already aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City. That man now runs FIFA.

“The infamous Gianni Infantino, then UEFA General Secretary, abused his authority, shared confidential documents and, in short, outmanoeuvred the investigators.”

Pinto 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 extensive investigation that could have led to their exclusion from the Champions League.”

His comments were reported on Thursday by Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo. Pinto’s Football Leaks disclosures in 2018 helped pave the way for the investigations into Manchester City.

Infantino was UEFA’s general secretary in 2014, before becoming FIFA president. Pinto said that, given his conduct in the Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain cases, Infantino should have no role in deciding the future of football.

He also claimed that Infantino had been under pressure in the months before the 2027 election.

Pinto’s allegations concern the way the original investigations were handled and the punishments imposed at that time. He says the clubs’ cases were settled with financial penalties, rather than being subjected to a broader process that could have resulted in Champions League exclusion.

The independent commission’s recent verdict on Manchester City relates to Premier League charges covering the period between 2009/10 and 2017/18, as well as allegations concerning the club’s conduct during the league’s inquiry.