{
  "id": 19359577,
  "title": "Football Leaks hacker who sparked Man City probe in talks with SFO over co-operation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/football-leaks-hacker-who-sparked-man-city-probe-in-talks-with-sfo",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-10T15:55:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/football-leaks-hacker-who-sparked-man-city-probe-in-talks-with-sfo-over-co-operation/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rui Pinto, the Portuguese hacktivist behind the Football Leaks scandal, is engaged in discussions with British authorities regarding a cooperation deal. The activist is seeking protection in exchange for assisting in exposing alleged criminal activities. Pinto, who previously worked with influential figures like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, claims he was informed that he would be removed from a witness protection program in Portugal during the height of Manchester City's financial cheating investigation. His legal representation is renowned French human rights lawyer William Bourdon. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has reportedly contacted Pinto's team about the potential co-operation. The SFO spokesperson, however, declined to confirm or deny any ongoing investigation. It is believed that the SFO deals with over 1,000 referrals annually and conducts investigations before deciding whether to proceed with formal proceedings. Manchester City, found guilty of over 100 financial rule violations, face potential relegation, a substantial fine, and even the forced sale of the club if the verdicts stand.",
  "summary": "Rui Pinto, the Portuguese hacktivist whose Football Leaks prompted investigations into Manchester City, says he is in talks with British authorities over a co-operation deal. Pinto is seeking protection in exchange for helping to expose crime after being told at the height of the coverage of Manchester City’s bombshell financial cheating verdict that he will [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}