Cardiff City lose compensation bid against Nantes over Emiliano Sala plane crash death | UK News
Cardiff City’s compensation claim over the death of footballer Emiliano Sala has been rejected by a French court. He was killed in a plane crash on his way to begin his Premier League career in January 2019. Cardiff paid Nantes a club-record fee for Sala, 28, but he never played after the light aircraft came down in the English Channel. The Welsh club sued Nantes for more than £100m over alleged negligence connected to the crash, which also killed pilot David Ibbotson. Sky Sports News reported that Cardiff contended Nantes were responsible because they enlisted agent Willie McKay, whose son, Mark McKay, was Sala’s representative, to arrange the flight. Nantes denied that claim. However, the court has now decided Nantes was not at fault, and Cardiff did not suffer any reputational harm. It called Cardiff’s claim “extravagant” and instead said Nantes had suffered reputational damage. Cardiff was ordered to pay €300,000 in damages and €180,000 (£416,000 in total) in legal costs. The club have been involved in a legal battle over the case for years. …
