CARDIFF CITY has fulfilled its financial obligations to FC Nantes regarding the transfer of Emiliano Sala, the Argentine striker who tragically died in a plane crash before having the opportunity to play for the Welsh team. The Bluebirds have paid off the remaining two scheduled payments, estimated to be around £12 million. However, Cardiff has made it clear that it will continue to pursue legal action against FC Nantes through the French courts.
“This is despite there not yet being a judicial decision about FC Nantes’ liability for the crash. We continue to work towards those responsible being held accountable. We look forward to the trial before the French court next year,” stated Cardiff City in an official statement.
The dispute over the transfer fee between Cardiff and FC Nantes has persisted since Sala’s untimely demise in January 2019. Sala had become Cardiff’s record signing for £15 million when the plane carrying him from France to Wales crashed into the English Channel. As a result of Cardiff’s refusal to pay the initial installment of the agreed transfer fee, FIFA imposed a three-window embargo on the club.
Cardiff argued that they were not liable for any part of the fee since Sala was not officially their player at the time of his passing, at the age of 28. The club’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne in 2022 was unsuccessful, upholding FIFA’s ruling. In January, Cardiff paid FC Nantes the first installment of the fee, leading FIFA to lift the embargo on the club.
However, the English Football League still imposed an embargo on Cardiff, which remains in place, preventing the club from paying fees for new signings. Initially set to last until the following summer, the length of the embargo has been reduced, and it will be lifted in January 2024, allowing Cardiff to resume signing players.
Despite the setback at CAS, Cardiff’s legal action in the French civil courts will continue after the Swiss Federal Tribunal ruled that CAS did not have the authority to handle the club’s claim for damages. In May, Cardiff initiated a lawsuit against FC Nantes, seeking compensation of nearly £100 million over Sala’s tragic death.
