Death of Emiliano Sala: Fifa summons Cardiff to pay the full transfer, Nantes is “rejoiced”

2023-07-01 02:41:55

This is a new episode in a case that has dragged on for four years. This Friday, Fifa ordered Cardiff to pay FC Nantes the balance of the transfer of Emiliano Sala. The 28-year-old Argentinian striker died on January 21, 2019 in the crash of the small tourist plane which was taking him from Nantes to Cardiff, where he had just been transferred for 17 million euros.

The competent chamber within the Fifa Football Tribunal has announced that Cardiff “must pay” just over 11 million euros, corresponding to the last two installments of the total amount agreed between the two clubs, the competent chamber has decided in within the FIFA Football Tribunal.

In detail, the Welsh club will have to pay 6 million euros plus 5% interest from January 2, 2020, 5 million euros plus 5% interest from January 2, 2021, and 25 000 dollars (22,920 euros) in procedural costs.

Cardiff had already paid last January a first installment of around 6 million euros, after a first decision against the justice of Fifa followed by an unsuccessful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“FC Nantes is delighted with this new victory in front of Fifa. The club is thus confirmed in its rights. . He hopes that after four years of procedure, Cardiff City will finally respect its financial commitments and stop its procedural harassment. FC Nantes is eager to definitively close the legal aspect of this tragic accident ”, underline the lawyers of the Nantes club Jérôme Marsaudon and Louis-Marie Absil, of the firm RMT. S

But Cardiff does not seem ready to let go. The club, which has been insisting for four years that the transfer of Emiliano Sala had not been finalized at the time of his accident, has initiated civil proceedings before the Nantes Commercial Court and is claiming nearly €110 million from the club. Nantes as compensation for “damage suffered”. Last week, the Nantes Commercial Court set the schedule for this litigation, with a hearing on the merits which could take place in the second quarter of 2024.

On the criminal level, an investigation opened by the Nantes prosecutor’s office at the end of January 2020, following a complaint from Welsh club lawyers, linked to the circumstances of this transfer is still in progress. . This file is now the responsibility of JIRS (Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction) of Rennes.