4 hours ago
4
A commercial court in France has dismissed Cardiff’s claim for more than £100m compensation after the death of Emiliano Sala. Seven years after the plane crash that killed Sala, Cardiff were seeking €122m (£106m) for loss of income and other damages from the player’s former team Nantes.
Rulings by Fifa, the court of arbitration for sport and Switzerland’s supreme court have gone against Cardiff in their legal dispute with Nantes since Sala died in January 2019.
The 28-year-old was signed by Cardiff from Nantes for a club-record fee of £15m as they tried to stave off relegation from the Premier League. The single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft the Argentinian was travelling in from France to begin his career with Cardiff crashed into the sea near Guernsey. The pilot, David Ibbotson, also died.
How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?
ShowDownload the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
In the Guardian app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications.
Turn on sport notifications.
The court ruled Nantes were not at fault in relation to the flight and that Cardiff did not suffer reputational damages. It added that Nantes suffered moral damage and ordered Cardiff to pay €300,000.
Cardiff estimated their losses at €122m after an analysis conducted by an expert appointed by the club. “We initiated this process so that the full truth would come to light in this case and out of respect for the memory of Emiliano Sala,” Cardiff’s lawyer Celine Jones told reporters after the verdict.
“Today, we bitterly observe that the principles of transparency, integrity, and safety in professional football have not prevailed in this decision.”
Nantes, struggling in the Ligue 1 relegation zone, welcomed the decision. “Nantes are in no way responsible for the incident that occurred,” said the club’s lawyer Jérôme Marsaudon said. “We are pleased the court listened to us and confirmed this in clear terms.”
In 2022, the court of arbitration for sport ruled that Sala’s transfer had definitely been finalised at the time of his death. The following year, Fifa ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala’s transfer fee, which amounted to just over €11m out of a total of €17m.
