Rui Pinto

Rui Pinto
Born
Rui Pedro Gonçalves Pinto

(1988-10-20) 20 October 1988 (age 36)
Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
EducationUniversity of Porto
Years active2015–2019
OrganizationFootball Leaks
Known forIllegal computer access
Criminal charges
  • Violation of secrecy
  • illegally accessing information
  • attempted qualified extortion
Criminal statusOn trial
Websitefootballleaks2015.wordpress.com

Rui Pedro Gonçalves Pinto (born 20 October 1988) is a Portuguese activist, whistleblower, creator of the Football Leaks website, and responsible for Malta Files and Luanda Leaks revelations.[1][2]

Pinto created the Football Leaks website in September 2015, with the intention of revealing the financial picture of association football, including the tax avoidance schemes used by top players and the controversial third-party ownership models used by clubs.[3] He is being accused of having used illegal methods to gather the data he leaked, by accessing private servers and downloading hundreds of internal documents and communications.[4]

Pinto was arrested in Budapest, Hungary, in January 2019 at the request of the Portuguese authorities on suspicion of attempted qualified extortion, violation of secrecy and illegally accessing information. He was released in August 2020.

In July 2023, Pinto was charged for 377 crimes in a new process related to, but not limited to, illegally accessing S.L. Benfica emails and then sharing them with FC Porto's director of communication, Francisco J. Marques,[5] who has been found guilty of publishing and manipulating the emails on Porto Canal.[6]

  1. ^ Panja, Tariq (10 April 2020). "Soccer Secrets Hacker Leaves Prison, Enters Lockdown". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. ^ Auto, Hermes (3 September 2020). "Football Leaks hacker Rui Pinto faces 90 charges as trial opens in Portugal | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. ^ "'Football Leaks' Hacker Goes on Trial in Portugal". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  4. ^ Panja, Tariq (20 September 2019). "Hacker Who Revealed Soccer Secrets Is Charged With 147 Crimes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Rui Pinto acusado de 377 crimes em novo processo por acesso a emails do Benfica". ECO (in Portuguese). 7 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Rui Pinto acusado de 377 crimes pelo Ministério Público". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 7 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.