Transfer of Emiliano Sala from FC Nantes to Cardiff City F.C.
The association football transfer of Emiliano Sala from FC Nantes to Cardiff City F.C. occurred on 19 January 2019. After month-long negotiations between the two clubs, Welsh-based English Premier League club Cardiff City agreed to pay French club Nantes a club record £15 million transfer fee for Sala, a 28-year-old Argentine striker. Travelling via a private plane from Nantes to Cardiff two days after the transfer was completed, the plane in which Sala and 59-year-old pilot David Ibbotson were flying in disappeared over the English Channel and an official search operation began immediately. The search was quickly called off, as the chances of Sala or Ibbotson surviving were deemed to be extremely remote. On 7 February, after a new search had begun, Sala's body was recovered from the wreckage of the plane, but Ibbotson's body was never recovered.
A bitter legal dispute involving the clubs began before Sala's body had been recovered, with Nantes demanding the first of three payments for the player. Cardiff refused to make the payment, claiming Sala was not legally their player. Nantes reported Cardiff to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), who ruled in their favour after an investigation, leading Cardiff to begin a protracted legal process with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Cardiff received a ban from buying any new players for three transfer windows, also subject to an ongoing legal appeal. In 2020, Cardiff filed papers citing wrongdoing by Nantes, an unnamed individual believed to be Nantes chairman Waldemar Kita, and agents Willie and his son Mark McKay.
Background[]
Emiliano Sala, an Argentine striker, signed for French Ligue 1 side Nantes from Derby de l'Atlantique rivals Girondins de Bordeaux on 20 July 2015, signing a five year contract for a fee of £600k (€1m).[1][2] At the time of his move to Cardiff City, he was 28 years old and was the top goalscorer for Nantes during his final season at the club, having scored 13 goals in 21 appearances in the Ligue 1 season. Sala had nearly been loaned out to Turkish club Galatasaray in the summer, as he was not deemed to be in the plans of manager Miguel Cardoso.[3][4] Earlier in 2018, English team Brighton & Hove Albion had a bid accepted in excess of €10m before Sala rejected the opportunity,[5] and he also turned down a move to Chinese club Beijing Renhe the next month.[6]
At the time Cardiff established their interest in Sala in December 2018, they had recently been promoted from the EFL Championship but were struggling to score goals in the Premier League, with their top goalscorer of the season to that point being makeshift centre forward Callum Paterson with four goals; the situation led Cardiff manager Neil Warnock to attend a Nantes game against Marseille in December to personally scout Sala, who would score his final ever goal in the game.[7] Sala's contract with Nantes ran a further 18 months, and it was believed that their initial asking price of £25m could be reduced to £15m, with Warnock's personal visit to France making Cardiff the most likely destination amid interest from other Premier League clubs.[8]
Transfer[]
Emiliano Sala @emilianosala1 La ultima ❤️ ciao FCNantes
