Rui Pinto, a Portuguese computer hacker, founded Football Leaks in 2015 and published confidential Manchester City documents that exposed financial rule breaches, ultimately leading to the Premier League's guilty verdict on 115 charges against the club. While viewed as a criminal by some, others consider him a whistleblower who revealed corruption in football.
Manchester City were found guilty of the vast majority of 134 charges related to Premier League financial rule breaches spanning 2009-10 to 2022-23, with the most serious allegations involving failure to provide accurate financial information. The club faces potential relegation or expulsion from the Premier League and has signaled an immediate appeal. The verdict concludes a disciplinary process that began over three and a half years ago.