Rui Pinto, the creator of Football Leaks, has publicly repeated allegations that Gianni Infantino intervened during UEFA inquiries into manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain and said the FIFA president “should have no place in the future of the game.” Pinto’s comments follow the Premier League finding that manchester City breached domestic financial rules over a nine-year period.
- Rui Pinto repeated claims that Gianni Infantino intervened in UEFA FFP cases involving manchester City and PSG, saying Infantino should have no role in football’s future.
- The Football Leaks disclosures begun in 2018 prompted investigations; the Premier League has now found manchester City guilty of breaking domestic financial rules, with an appeal deadline of 2 October.
- Infantino has denied wrongdoing and UEFA previously defended the general secretary’s remit; UEFA has since accused Infantino of criminal mismanagement over a separate FFE scheme and seeks document disclosure in US courts.
- Infantino intends to run for re-election in March 2027; the nomination deadline for challengers is 18 November 2026, and no formal opponent has been reported in the cited sources.
What Pinto has said
On social media platform X, Pinto accused Infantino—then UEFA general secretary in 2014—of “abusing his authority, sharing confidential documents and, in short, outmanoeuvring the investigatory chamber” so that Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain would receive fines rather than face deeper probes that might have led to Champions League bans. Pinto added: “Given his actions as UEFA general secretary and, more recently, as FIFA president, I can only say, in my humble opinion, that Gianni Infantino has become a cancer on football and should have no place in the future of the game.”
What the underlying allegations are
The claims Pinto repeats trace back to the Football Leaks disclosures first published in 2018 by Der Spiegel. Those documents purportedly showed that the two clubs had overstated certain sponsorship revenues to meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) requirements. When those allegations surfaced, UEFA and the clubs disputed any suggestion of wrongdoing: UEFA said assistance from the general secretary could fall within that role’s remit, and PSG issued denials that it had broken rules.
How this links to the Premier League ruling
The Premier League investigation into Manchester City was prompted in part by information released through the Football Leaks disclosures. The league has found City guilty of breaching its financial rules over nine years; City deny wrongdoing and have an appeal window that runs until 2 October. Pinto’s remarks arrive as the club’s domestic sanctions remain undecided.
Responses and current pressure on Infantino
Infantino has defended his past conduct, saying that his job involved “discussions, having conversations, exchanging documents, drafts, ideas” and that performing those functions professionally is part of representing football. UEFA previously maintained that a general secretary may assist investigating bodies through meetings and exchanges intended to help reach solutions.
Separately, the FIFA president has faced fresh scrutiny since proposals to sell stakes in future World Cups were revealed and then shelved. UEFA has accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” in relation to the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme and sought disclosure of documents through court filings. The Swiss Football Association has also withdrawn its support, citing concerns about governance, according to published reports.
Why Pinto’s intervention matters
- Pinto was the source of the original Football Leaks material that prompted high-profile investigations; his restatement keeps those allegations in the public eye.
- The renewed attention comes as Infantino prepares to stand for what would be a fourth term at FIFA’s congress in March 2027, a contest that currently has no declared opponent.
- UEFA and other confederations have publicly signalled deep unease with Infantino’s leadership, and legal discovery processes tied to those disputes could produce further documentation—though judicial timelines are likely to extend past FIFA’s candidate nomination deadline of 18 November.
What is confirmed and what remains disputed
Confirmed: Football Leaks disclosures were published in 2018 and helped trigger separate investigations by UEFA and the Premier League into Manchester City. The Premier League has since issued a guilty finding against City for breaches of its rules, and City has until 2 October to lodge an appeal.
Alleged but not legally established in the public record: Pinto’s renewed claim that Infantino actively “outmanoeuvred the investigatory chamber” in 2014 to secure lighter sanctions for City and PSG. UEFA previously defended the general secretary’s involvement as falling within remit; Infantino has denied wrongdoing and characterised his actions as part of his job. Neither criminal liability nor a judicial finding against Infantino on these specific intervention claims has been produced in the reporting cited here.
Implications for the FIFA election and governance
Infantino has declared he will run in March 2027. Despite public statements of no confidence from bodies including UEFA and withdrawals of support from some associations, no rival candidate has formally emerged as of the publication of the reporting cited here. Commentators and confederation officials have suggested that the institutional advantages of incumbency—and disputed control over campaign resources—complicate the prospect of a contested election.
UEFA has pursued legal routes seeking disclosure linked to the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme; FIFA has resisted, calling UEFA’s action a smear campaign. Courts in multiple US jurisdictions will consider discovery requests, but legal processes typically move slowly and may not resolve before the election window.
Timeline of key developments (2014–2027 election period)
- 2014 – Pinto and others allege UEFA handled FFP cases involving Manchester City and PSG; reports by Der Spiegel publicise related documents.
- 2016 – Gianni Infantino elected FIFA president (first term began after replacing Sepp Blatter).
- 2018 – Football Leaks disclosures are widely published and prompt investigations by UEFA and domestic leagues.
- 2026 (September–October) – Premier League rules hearing finds Manchester City guilty of breaching domestic financial rules; City have an appeal deadline of 2 October. Rui Pinto restates allegations about Infantino’s role in 2014. UEFA accuses Infantino of criminal mismanagement over FFE; the Swiss FA withdraws support.
- 2027 (March) – Scheduled FIFA presidential election; candidate nomination deadline is 18 November 2026.
What comes next
The immediate practical developments to watch are Manchester City’s appeal against the Premier League decision and any legal discovery outcomes from UEFA’s complaints about the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme. Those discovery processes could unearth further documents relevant to the 2014 FFP cases and to recent governance disputes, but the courts’ timetables may mean findings come after FIFA’s nomination deadline. Whether a credible challenger to Infantino emerges before 18 November will be decisive for the March 2027 vote.
How G3.Football is treating these claims
This piece reports Pinto’s public statement and places it alongside contemporaneous developments: the Premier League’s guilty finding, the history of the Football Leaks disclosures and ongoing legal and political challenges to Infantino’s presidency. Pinto’s allegations about Infantino’s personal conduct in 2014 remain his assertion; UEFA and Infantino’s past responses have contested that characterisation and no judicial finding against Infantino on those precise intervention claims has been produced in the cited reporting.
“Given his actions as UEFA general secretary and, more recently, as FIFA president, I can only say, in my humble opinion, that Gianni Infantino has become a cancer on football and should have no place in the future of the game.”