Man City case 'moral reward' for Football Leaks hacker, lawyer claims

The lawyer of Rui Pinto - nan convicted machine hacker whose revelations led to Manchester City facing Premier League charges of alleged financial norm breaches - says nan lawsuit is "a civilized reward [for] each nan risks he took and nan harm he has had to endure".

In 2015, Pinto founded nan Football Leaks website which released a cache of confidential documents to nan media, including soul City emails astir sponsorship deals and payments.

An independent committee proceeding into 115 Premier League charges crossed 14 seasons started successful London this week.

City powerfully contradict wrongdoing, and opportunity they are supported by a "comprehensive assemblage of irrefutable evidence".

Last twelvemonth a Portuguese tribunal gave Pinto a four-year suspended sentence aft uncovering him blameworthy of attempted extortion, forbidden entree to information and breach of correspondence.

The judge successful that lawsuit said it had "clearly been established that he was hoping to get money".

Pinto describes himself arsenic a whistleblower, insisting he acted to expose corruption successful football, but now faces a 2nd criminal proceedings successful Portugal complete much charges.

"I cognize that he expects that astatine nan end, nan determination successful nan UK could beryllium adjuvant for him successful his defence," said his lawyer William Bourdon.

"It could besides thief different whistleblowers to break nan silence."

When asked what it mightiness mean for Pinto if nan Premier League charges against City are upheld, Bourdon said it would amended his ineligible team's expertise "to demonstrate… that Football Leaks was astatine nan root of prosecution… and amended will beryllium our position".

When challenged that City had been cleared of Uefa financial norm violations successful 2020 erstwhile winning an appeal, Bourdon said, “It’s difficult to make a comment… I want to beryllium cautious… it’s surprising.”

Speaking astatine his offices successful Paris, nan lawyer - who has besides represented Wikileaks laminitis Julian Assange and US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden - said nan truth that nan convention had charged City was "quite courageous, because they surely person to flooded obstacles, unit to effort to discourage them to move forwards".

"It intends that successful nan UK… location are immoderate bully group who person an appraisal of their responsibility, of their ethical duties… to debar nan contagion of a benignant of resignation," he added.

The saga begun successful 2018, erstwhile City said allegations primitively published successful German newspaper Der Spiegel - that they had disguised finance from proprietor Sheikh Mansour arsenic sponsorship gross successful bid to subvert rules that limit clubs' financial losses - were "entirely false".

The nine said nan claims came from "illegal hacking and retired of discourse publication of City emails" arsenic portion of an "organised and clear attempt" to smear nan club.

When that was put to Bourdon, he said: "All this victimisation aliases criminalisation of those who cod evidence, it's really disgusting."

The documents leaked by Pinto were cardinal successful Uefa past ruling that City had committed "serious breaches" of financial regulations, handing nan nine a two-year prohibition from European competitions successful 2020.

But it was past overturned by nan Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) later that year, a sheet ruling that "based connected nan grounds successful beforehand of it... nan mostly of nan sheet is not comfortably satisfied that nan arrangements discussed successful nan leaked emails were successful truth executed… In nan absence of a nexus being proven… nan mostly of nan sheet finds that Uefa’s mentation connected disguised equity backing remains unsubstantiated".

It besides recovered that City had committed a "severe breach" by failing to co-operate pinch Uefa's investigation, pinch an first £25m good reduced to £8m.

In 2021 it was revealed that City's ineligible squad was challenging some nan jurisdiction of Premier League arbitrators to investigate, and a petition to disclose documents to nan panel.

In 2023, nan Premier League charged City pinch breaching rules requiring nan nine to "provide meticulous financial information" relating to sponsorship gross and operating costs betwixt 2009 and 2018. It has besides accused nan Premier League champions of not co-operating pinch its four-year investigation.

In a connection astatine nan time, City said it was "surprised by nan issuing of these alleged breaches… peculiarly fixed nan extended engagement and immense magnitude of elaborate materials that nan Premier League has been provided with. The nine welcomes nan reappraisal of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially see nan broad assemblage of irrefutable grounds that exists successful support of its position.

"As specified we look guardant to this matter being put to remainder erstwhile and for all."

City are contesting each charges.

In June, Pinto reportedly claimed, external that he had handed complete much documents and information relating to European clubs - including accusation applicable to nan City lawsuit - to French anti-corruption investigators, saying he was "confident they will find criminal relevancy".

When pressed connected nan matter, Bourdon said: "Some months ago, we went to Paris astatine nan invitation of nan financial prosecutor… and he opened each nan data."

"I cognize that location are immoderate documents which could bring nan opening of a immense caller criminal investigation against nan astir salient European shot clubs, including successful England… and these coagulated pieces of grounds 1 time will beryllium presented to nan clubs."

He said he could not uncover which clubs it involved, nor nan precise quality of nan accusation held.

The French National Financial Prosecutor (PNF) noted Pinto's "essential co-operation", and said his assistance would thief "relaunch procedures that are already nether measurement aliases lead to caller procedures being opened".

City person declined to comment.

Claiming to want "to show nan hidden broadside of football", Football Leaks shared millions of documents pinch media outlets successful nan European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) consortium, a web of investigative journalists.

They included revelations connected ‘third-party ownership’, nan salaries of Argentina awesome Lionel Messi and Brazil guardant Neymar, undercover talks regarding nan creation of nan European Super League, and alleged cases of taxation evasion by respective apical footballers.

Paris St-Germain besides admitted that scouts had racially profiled young players pursuing an investigation based connected documents made disposable by Football Leaks. The nine denied responsibility.

A self-taught machine mastermind, Pinto was arrested successful Hungary successful 2019 and extradited backmost to Portugal. Released from custody successful August 2020, he has remained nether constabulary witnesser protection because of information concerns.

Pinto insisted his actions were successful nan nationalist interest, but past twelvemonth he was convicted connected 5 counts of "illegitimate access" to IT systems and 3 counts of "correspondence violations", on pinch nan attempted extortion against nan finance money Doyen Sports. Prosecutors alleged that Pinto sought betwixt £429,400 to £858,800 from nan caput of Doyen successful bid to extremity publishing compromising documents.

When challenged complete nan illegality of his client's activities, Bourdon said: "Of course, he didn't find each this accusation successful a church… He was very young, he has been naive… he should person been acquitted.

"Football should beryllium grateful to him," insists Bourdon. "Tax administrations should beryllium grateful to him."

"I dream that 1 time personification will shingle nan manus of Pinto and opportunity 'thanks to you, you did a tremendous job, and you will merit a reward… for what you did'."

Bourdon said Pinto had received decease threats, and it was "very difficult for him to look a 2nd trial".

The lawyer said that Judge Margarida Alves – who presided complete Pinto's first proceedings - had noted that; "we cannot hide his contribution, his publication to uncover facts which person been astatine nan root of main criminal investigations each complete Europe… to unfastened nan eyes of humanity, of Europe citizens and what's going connected nether nan magnificent wall of [the] shot industry."

However, she besides told nan tribunal successful Lisbon: "The state to pass does not warrant violations of privacy." She added: "The tribunal has nary doubt... It has intelligibly been established that he was hoping to get money.”

In 2023, arsenic a abstracted proceedings successful Paris, Pinto besides received a six-month suspended condemnation aft admitting to illegally accessing confidential accusation connected PSG.