Rui Pinto will go on trial in Paris on Wednesday for downloading attachments and information contained in emails from executives of the Paris Saint-Germain football club. The 35-year-old Portuguese is the source of the "Football leaks" revelations, a gigantic information leak that has shaken the football world to its core.

On Wednesday, he will be tried before the criminal court during an appearance hearing on prior recognition of guilt (CRPC), a kind of French-style guilty plea. He is accused of having, between 2015 and 2019, in France, Portugal and Hungary, fraudulently accessed the mailboxes of the financial director of PSG, the deputy general manager and an assistant general manager, according to a source close to the case. He is also accused of fraudulently extracting data from it.

"No one can dispute that Rui Pinto is an exceptional whistleblower," his lawyer William Bourdon told AFP. It has led to the revelation of facts that are seriously contrary to the public interest and the opening of investigations in several European countries. This contribution has been recognised even by the Portuguese courts as he continues to be persecuted by the football thugs. Contacted by AFP, PSG's lawyer, Antoine Maisonneuve, declined to comment.

Ethnic registration at PSG revealed by the "Footballl Leaks"

These leaks had led to the opening of a preliminary investigation in Paris, targeting PSG: The club was accused of having included ethnic criteria in its evaluation sheets of young players, between 2013 and 2018. The investigation was closed in August 2022 "for lack of a sufficiently serious offence". But a complaint filed in February could relaunch the investigations.

Passed on to a consortium of European investigative media, the bonanza of information stemming from the "Football leaks" brought to light questionable practices involving star players, clubs and agents, which were then the subject of tax assessments and judicial investigations in several countries.

  • Football
  • Sport
  • Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG)
  • Football Leaks