Manchester City secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title last season, marking a historic achievement for the club. However, their success has been marred by allegations of rule-breaking, with the Football Leaks scandal at the center of the controversy.
The Portuguese hacker responsible for the scandal, Rui Pinto, has threatened to release more emails and documents that expose Manchester City’s alleged misconduct. Pinto claims to have provided authorities in France and Germany with evidence that demonstrates “criminal relevancy” related to the club’s actions.
In 2018, Pinto accessed thousands of emails and documents that implicated several clubs in Europe, including Manchester City, in breaching regulations such as Financial Fair Play. Despite being convicted of nine crimes in 2023, Pinto has been under witness protection since 2020 and continues to be a thorn in City’s side.
During a recent video conference, Pinto revealed that he had supplied French and German authorities with hard drives containing millions of documents, many of which shed light on City’s alleged wrongdoings. These documents are said to be part of a Premier League investigation into the club’s activities.
City’s previous run-in with Uefa led to a two-year European ban, which was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Now facing legal action from the Premier League over alleged breaches of Profit and Sustainability Rules, City maintain their innocence and have vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
The ongoing saga continues to cast a shadow over Manchester City’s success on the field, raising questions about their conduct off it. As they prepare to defend their title in the upcoming season, the cloud of controversy looms large over the club.