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Emiliano Sala died in January 2019
Credit: Eurosport
Nearly seven years after the death of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala in a plane crash, lawyers for Cardiff City and FC Nantes face off on Monday before the Nantes commercial court in the financial dispute between the two clubs.
“This hearing marks a new step towards revealing the truth about this matter and strengthening accountability in the world of football. This case is not about harming football: it is about protecting its integrity“, Cardiff City Football Club (CCFC) said in a statement to AFP.
The Welsh club took action before the Nantes commercial court in 2023 to claim compensation for loss of income and other damage suffered by the club due to the death of the player. In particular, he seeks compensation for the financial and reputational losses caused by Cardiff’s move from Division 1 to Division 2.
Cardiff City believes that “it’s about ensuring higher standards in our sport, particularly when it comes to transfers“. Asked by AFP, FC Nantes counsel did not wish to comment ahead of the hearing.
Striker Emiliano Sala, aged 28, died in January 2019 in a plane crash over the English Channel while joining Cardiff City, to which he had been transferred from FC Nantes. He didn’t have time to play with his new club.
Agent banned from exercising and illegal flights
After an analysis carried out by an expert commissioned by Cardiff City, the club estimated its damage at more than 120 million euros. Facing the Nantes commercial court, Cardiff City defends that FC Nantes was, via its agent Willie McKay, the sponsor of the private flight on which the footballer took a seat and that, if the transfer was effective at the time of the accident according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it is the organization of this flight which is in question.
“This is a tragedy that could – and should – have been avoided if those involved in the transfer to FC Nantes had not used the services of a banned agent, who organized illegal flights to seal the deal.“, accuses the Welsh club.
In 2023, the football court of the International Federation (Fifa) ordered Cardiff to pay FC Nantes the balance of the transfer of the Argentine player, at the time a little more than 11 million euros out of a total of 17 million. Initially scheduled for September, the hearing on the merits was postponed to December 8.
