Cardiff lose €122m Sala compensation case against Nantes

Cardiff City have lost a €122m compensation claim against FC Nantes over the death of Emiliano Sala.

A French court on Monday dismissed the claim and ordered the Welsh club to pay €300,000 in moral damages to Nantes.

Sala died in January 2019 when a light aircraft carrying him to the UK crashed in the English Channel.

The 28-year-old forward and pilot David Ibbotson were killed in the incident.

Cardiff filed the case in 2023, seeking damages for loss of income linked to the player’s death.

The club argued that Nantes, through an intermediary, organised the private flight.

However, the court ruled in favour of the French side.

Cardiff’s lawyer, Celine Jones, criticised the outcome.

Jones said: “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.

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

Nantes welcomed the ruling, maintaining it bore no responsibility for the incident.

The club’s lawyer, Jerome Marsaudon, said: “Nantes are in no way responsible for the incident that occurred.

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

The ruling follows earlier decisions linked to the transfer.

In 2022, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Sala’s transfer to Cardiff had been completed at the time of his death.

A year later, FIFA ordered the Welsh club to pay the remaining balance of the transfer fee, just over €11m out of a total €17m.

Cardiff have since been relegated from the Premier League and now compete in English football’s third tier.

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