The whistleblower who exposed Manchester City’s serious financial breaches says FIFA president Gianni Infantino helped the club and Paris Saint-Germain avoid fair play financial penalties.
Man City has been found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-year periodalthough they still stand firm in their denial of any wrongdoing.
The investigation into City was launched after information was released into the public domain via the Football Leaks website, which was set up by Rui Pinto.
Pinto has now said Infantino stepped in to help City and Paris St-Germain avoid fair play financial sanctions from European football’s governing body Uefa.
“In 2014, there was a man who was already aware of the irregularities involving Manchester City,” Portuguese Pinto, 37, wrote on Wednesday.
“The infamous Gianni Infantino, then Uefa’s general secretary, abused his authority, shared confidential documents and, in short, bypassed the investigation room, doing everything in his power to ensure that both Manchester City and PSG only received a fine, avoiding a deeper investigation that could have led to a Champions League ban.
“All 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 in football and should have no place in the future of the game.”
When the allegations emerged, Uefa insisted that assistance in such matters was the responsibility of the general secretary, explaining that this could involve discussions, meetings, providing assistance in finding solutions and other interactions to support the investigative body.
Infantino also defended his involvement, arguing that his role naturally involves “discussions” and “conversations” as well as the exchange of documents, drafts and ideas on a wide range of topics.
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 manner” and “in a professional manner” while seeking to protect football’s interests.
More pressure on Infantino
The allegations pile more pressure on FIFA president Infantino, who came under fire after his now-shelved plans to sell World Cup stakes to private investors.
As a result, the Swiss administrator lost a lot of support for his position, with UEFA calling for his resignation, 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” of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) programme, while the Swiss Football Association (SFV) is the latest association to withdraw its support for the FIFA president.
“The decision comes after a comprehensive re-evaluation of the evolution of the last months,” says a statement from SFV.
“From the SFV’s perspective, several incidents raise fundamental questions about leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making processes at Fifa.”
