Meet Rui Pinto, the hacker whose leaks shook world football

Mention Rui Pinto to many Manchester City fans and they may not recognise the name. But the Portuguese computer hacker has played a central role in one of football's biggest financial controversies through Football Leaks, the website he created to publish confidential documents from clubs, players and agents.

The Premier League's financial charges against Manchester City, which the club has denied and is expected to appeal, are also linked to documents published by Pinto through Football Leaks, PUNCH Online reports. According to BBC on Saturday, the leaked material included internal emails about sponsorship deals and payments involving Manchester City and eventually became part of the background to the Premier League's financial case against the club.

The 37-year-old has spent years at the centre of a debate over whether he should be regarded as a criminal hacker or a whistleblower who exposed what he described as "the hidden side of football".