Cardiff City’s claims for compensation in excess of £100m following the death of player Emiliano Sala have been dismissed by a commercial court in France.
Sala and a pilot, David Ibbotson, were both killed in a plane crash in the English Channel in January 2019. Ibbotson was flying Sala from Nantes to join Cardiff, which was then a Premier League club, after the two clubs had agreed a transfer fee for the player.
Cardiff, who were relegated from the Premier League that season and have subsequently dropped to League One, were claiming more than £100m for loss of income and other damages, based on the belief that Sala could have kept the club in the Premier League.
However, in a ruling issued on Monday, more than seven years after the plane crash that killed the Argentine forward, the claims were dismissed.
The court ruled that Nantes was not at fault in relation to the flight and that Cardiff did not suffer reputational damages.
It added that Cardiff’s “extravagant claims” had already been ruled on by other courts and that Nantes suffered moral damage.
The court ordered Cardiff to pay over £400,000 in damages and legal costs.
A Cardiff statement read: “We deeply regret that the court did not recognise FC Nantes’ liability in this tragedy.
“We initiated these proceedings so that the full truth of this case could come to light, in respect of Emiliano Sala’s memory.
“Today, we note with bitterness that the principles of transparency, integrity and safety in professional football have not prevailed in this decision… More than ever, there is an urgent need to strengthen safety and ethical standards in the management and protection of players, so that such a tragedy can never happen again.
“The world of football must take a hard look at itself.”
More to follow.
