The whistleblower who exposed Manchester City’s serious financial breaches says FIFA president Gianni Infantino helped the club and Paris Saint-Germain avoid financial fair play punishments.
Man City have been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period, though they still remain steadfast in their denial of any wrongdoing.
The investiation into City was launched following information released into the public domain via the Football Leaks website, which was created by Rui Pinto.
Pinto has now said that Infantino intervened to help City and Paris St-Germain avoid financial fair play sanctions from European football’s governing body Uefa.
“Back in 2014, there was a man who was already aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City,” 37-year-old Portuguese Pinto wrote on Wednesday.
“The infamous Gianni Infantino, then Uefa general secretary, abused his authority, shared confidential documents and, in short, outmanoeuvred the investigatory chamber, doing everything in his power to ensure that both Manchester City and PSG would merely receive a fine, avoiding a deeper investigation that could have led to a Champions League ban.
“All of these details were also revealed through Football Leaks.
“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.”
When the allegations first emerged, Uefa insisted that assisting with such matters fell within the general secretary’s remit, explaining that this could involve discussions, meetings, offering assistance to find solutions and other interactions to support the investigating body.
Infantino likewise defended his involvement, arguing that his role naturally involves “discussions” and “conversations”, as well as the exchange of documents, drafts and ideas across a wide range of issues.
He added that if those interactions were being portrayed negatively, there was little more he could do beyond carrying out his job “in an honest way” and “in a professional way”, while seeking to protect the interests of football.
More pressure on Infantino
The allegations pile more pressure on FIFA president Infantino, who came under fire after his now-shelved plans to sell stakes of the World Cup to private investors.
The Swiss administrator lost a swell of support for his position as a result, with UEFA calling for him to step down, but he has indicated his plans to stand for re-election in March 2027.
European football’s governing body Uefa accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” over the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, while the Swiss Football Association (SFV) is the latest association to withdraw its support for the Fifa president.
“The decision follows a comprehensive reassessment of developments over the past few months,” an SFV statement read.
“From the SFV’s perspective, various incidents raise fundamental questions regarding leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making processes within Fifa.”
