Football Leaks whistleblower Rui Pinto has accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of helping Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain avoid potentially severe UEFA sanctions in 2014.
Pinto revived the allegations after an independent Premier League commission found City guilty of 114 of the 115 financial charges brought against the club.
The commission reportedly concluded that City used “sham” commercial agreements to disguise more than £830million in funding from their Abu Dhabi ownership as sponsorship revenue.
City strongly deny wrongdoing and are preparing an appeal. Their punishment will be determined during a separate sanctions process.
Pinto attacks Infantino over 2014 settlements
Writing on X, Pinto claimed Infantino knew about irregularities involving City while serving as UEFA general secretary in 2014.
He accused Infantino of abusing his authority, sharing confidential information and helping City and PSG negotiate settlements which prevented their cases from being examined more deeply.
Pinto claimed a more extensive investigation could have resulted in the clubs being excluded from the Champions League.
He described Infantino as damaging to football and argued that the FIFA president should have no future in the game.
Those comments represent Pinto’s allegations and personal opinion. They were not findings made by the Premier League commission considering City’s breaches.
Leaked documents revealed secret negotiations
Pinto’s Football Leaks archive was behind a series of reports published by German magazine Der Spiegel in 2018.
The leaked documents indicated that Infantino played a central role in negotiating UEFA’s 2014 settlements with City and PSG.
Reports said he met club executives and discussed possible agreements before the cases reached UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body.
One leaked email reportedly referred to a private meeting between Infantino and City chief executive Ferran Soriano as the parties attempted to negotiate an outcome which would be considered an effective punishment without dramatically damaging the club’s business.
City were fined approximately £49million, although about £32m was suspended. Their Champions League squad and transfer spending were also restricted.
PSG agreed to a €60m financial contribution, with part of that amount suspended, alongside similar sporting and financial restrictions.
Infantino previously denied wrongdoing
Infantino rejected the Football Leaks allegations when they first emerged in 2018.
He said meeting City and PSG officials and attempting to negotiate settlements formed part of his responsibilities as UEFA general secretary.
Infantino maintained that the agreements were subsequently submitted to independent adjudicatory panels which made the final decisions.
FIFA also argued that UEFA’s administration was permitted to assist the Club Financial Control Body during settlement negotiations.
Neither the historical Football Leaks reports nor Pinto’s latest statement proves that Infantino personally prevented City or PSG from being banned from European competition.
However, the leaked correspondence raised questions about whether two powerful clubs were given unusually favourable access to UEFA’s senior leadership during confidential investigations.
Premier League verdict renews scrutiny
The Premier League commission’s findings have renewed attention on how City’s finances were handled by football authorities during the club’s rise.
It reportedly found that almost £950m was recorded as sponsorship revenue between 2009 and 2018, with £830.69m allegedly originating from the Abu Dhabi United Group rather than the named sponsors.
The commission also found City submitted inaccurate financial information, concealed payments and obstructed the league’s investigation.
City reject the conclusions and insist they possess evidence capable of clearing their name.
No sanction has yet been imposed, with possible outcomes ranging from a fine and points deduction to relegation or expulsion from the Premier League.
