Cardiff lose €122m compensation case over Emiliano Sala’s d3ath

A French court has dismissed a €122 million compensation claim filed by Cardiff City in a legal dispute with FC Nantes over the 2019 death of Emiliano Sala.

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The Welsh club had taken the case to a commercial court in Nantes in 2023, seeking damages for loss of income and other financial impacts following Sala’s death.

In its ruling, the court also ordered Cardiff to pay €300,000 in moral damages to Nantes.

Sala, 28, died when the light aircraft carrying him to the Welsh capital crashed in the English Channel on January 21, 2019, just two days after completing his transfer. The pilot, David Ibbotson, also died in the crash.

Following an internal analysis, Cardiff had estimated its losses at €122 million. Since Sala’s death, the club has been relegated from the Premier League and now competes in the third tier of English football.

Cardiff’s lawyer, Celine Jones, said the legal action was intended to uncover the full truth and honour Sala’s memory.

“Today, we bitterly observe that the principles of transparency, integrity, and safety in professional football have not prevailed in this decision,” she said.

Nantes welcomed the verdict, with their lawyer Jerome Marsaudon stating that the club was not responsible for the incident.

“We are pleased the court listened to us and confirmed this in clear terms,” he said.

Cardiff had argued that Nantes, through intermediary agent Willie McKay, organised the private flight. However, earlier rulings had already clarified aspects of the transfer.

In 2022, the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed that Sala’s transfer had been completed before his death. In 2023, FIFA ordered Cardiff to pay the remaining balance of the transfer fee, amounting to just over €11 million out of a €17 million deal.