Rui Pinto Says Gianni Infantino Should Have No Future in Football

What changed

Rui Pinto, the Football Leaks hacker, renewed allegations that Gianni Infantino helped Manchester City and Paris St-Germain avoid stronger UEFA financial-fair-play sanctions in 2014. His statement comes as City, found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules over nine years, prepares an appeal deadline of 2 October, while Infantino seeks a fourth FIFA presidential term in March 2027.

Why it matters

This puts old questions about UEFA’s handling of elite clubs back into a live leadership contest. Pinto alleges that Infantino, then UEFA’s general secretary, shared confidential documents and helped steer City and PSG toward fines rather than a deeper investigation that might have led to a Champions League ban.

Those claims remain disputed. PSG denied wrongdoing at the time, while UEFA said the general secretary was entitled to hold discussions and help find solutions. Infantino said that exchanging documents and ideas was part of his job and that he acted honestly.

The political pressure is now broader than Pinto’s accusation. The Swiss Football Association has withdrawn its support for Infantino, citing concerns about leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making at FIFA. Opponents have until 18 November to nominate candidates, so the allegations are landing before a contest about whether Infantino should remain at football’s summit.