By Bonface Mulyungi
Cardiff City’s claim for more than £100m in compensation following the death of footballer Emiliano Sala has been thrown out by a French judge.
Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson died when the Piper Malibu plane carrying them crashed into the English Channel on the night of 21 January 2019.
The Argentine striker was on his way to join Cardiff City – then in the Premier League – from FC Nantes for a £15m transfer fee.
In the latest chapter of a long-running dispute, a French court tasked with ruling on whether the Welsh club was due compensation from Nantes for the loss of Sala has dismissed its claim.
Cardiff City was claiming more than €120m (£104m) for loss of income and other damages, based on the belief that Sala could have kept the club in the Premier League.
But, on Monday, a court in Nantes dismissed its claims and also ordered the club to pay about £400,000 in legal fees and moral damages suffered by FC Nantes.
The penalty is payable immediately, regardless of any possible appeal.
Cardiff City is yet to make a decision on whether or not to appeal. Capital Law, which represents the club, said it would take some time to reflect on the verdict.
It has one month to lodge an appeal, which would be heard before the Court of Appeal of Rennes, with the process taking up to two years.
An appeal would trigger a new trial – a second chance at the case being heard and re-examined in its entirety.
Celine Jones, of Capital Law, said it “deeply regrets” that the court didn’t rule in Cardiff’s favour.
“We initiated these proceedings so that the full truth of this case would come to light in respect of Emiliano Sala’s memory,” she said.
“Today we note with great bitterness that the principles of transparency, integrity and safety in professional football have not prevailed in this decision.”
Jones added: “More than ever there is an urgent need to strengthen safety in and ethical standards in the management and the protection of players so a tragedy never ever happens again. The world of football needs to take a hard look at itself.”
In a joint statement, FC Nantes’ attorneys Jérome Marsaudon and Louis Marie Absil said they welcomed the court’s decision.
“FC Nantes is in no way responsible for the tragedy that occurred, and we are pleased that the court has heard our case and confirmed this in very clear terms,” they said.
