Cardiff City Football Club will present its case for more than £100million in damages against FC Nantes at a French commercial court this afternoon, nearly seven years after striker Emiliano Sala was killed in a plane crash.
The Welsh club maintains that the 28-year-old Argentine forward could have prevented their relegation from the Premier League during the 2018-19 season.
Sala and pilot David Ibbotson lost their lives when their aircraft plunged into the English Channel near Guernsey in January 2019, just two days after Cardiff announced him as their record signing in a £15million deal.
The hearing at Nantes commercial court, originally scheduled for September 22, marks what many consider the final chapter in this protracted legal dispute between the two clubs.
Cardiff, who have since been relegated to League One, identified Sala in December 2018 as the goal scorer who could help them survive their top-flight battle.
The transfer was confirmed on January 19, 2019, bringing the striker from the French club to South Wales.
However, while on the way to join his new teammates, Sala’s flight crashed into the sea close to Guernsey on January 21.
Investigators subsequently determined the aircraft was operating without proper licensing.
Emiliano Sala was killed in a plane crash
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David Henderson, the plane operator who arranged the flight, was convicted in October 2021 of endangering aircraft safety and received an 18-month prison sentence.
The crash sparked years of acrimony between Cardiff and Nantes, with the Welsh side initially withholding the first transfer instalment pending accountability investigations.
Cardiff’s legal team contends that former football agent Willie McKay was acting on Nantes’ behalf when he organised the fatal flight through Henderson.
The French club has consistently denied this connection.
Cardiff announced him as their record signing in a £15million deal
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McKay, who was not a registered agent, stated he was assisting his son, Mark, the official agent in the transaction, though he arranged the charter.
Cardiff had offered Sala a commercial flight, but the striker wished to remain longer in Nantes to bid farewell to colleagues.
Through civil proceedings against McKay, Cardiff secured emails and documents in an out-of-court settlement in February 2024, which they claim establish Nantes’ liability.
Expert evidence from football data firm FC Analytics suggests Sala could have boosted Cardiff’s Premier League survival prospects by up to 62 per cent.
Sala and pilot David Ibbotson lost their lives when their aircraft plunged into the English Channel near Guernsey in January 2019
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The £104million damages claim encompasses lost revenue following relegation, diminished club value, and the original transfer fee.
The proceedings are scheduled to commence at 16:00 GMT this afternoon. Both clubs have already submitted their evidence, and no witnesses will appear before the court.
Consular judges, who are business executives rather than legal professionals elected to their positions, will hear arguments from both sides’ lawyers before retiring to deliberate and decide whether Nantes bears liability, and if so, what proportion of the claimed damages should be awarded.
A ruling is not anticipated for several months, with March being a possible timeframe for the outcome.
Both Cardiff and Nantes retain the right to appeal any judgment.
