Death of Emiliano Sala: the Welsh club of Cardiff still dismissed by Swiss justice

2023-05-10 03:04:42

New stage in the long conflict between Cardiff City and FC Nantes, more than four years after the death of Argentinian Emiliano Sala in a plane crash on January 21, 2019, while on his way to the Wales. This Tuesday, the Federal Court of Lausanne (Switzerland) published the judgment rendered on March 30which rejects the demands of Cardiff City, which has been asking for years for the invalidation of the transfer (at 17 million euros) of the player from FC Nantes.

Already dismissed by Fifa and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Welsh club therefore suffered a new and final setback before the Swiss courts. Even if a first part of the transfer, up to 6 million euros, was paid to FC Nantes, Cardiff disputes the validity of the last two drafts of 6 and 5 million euros. But Fifa, the CAS and, therefore, the Swiss federal justice agree that “the transfer was executed before the death of the player”, which obliges Cardiff to pay the amount due. The flight taken by Sala being “independent” of the contractual obligations of said transfer.

“FC Nantes must be held responsible for the accident”

But the club led by Malaysian Vincent Tan does not want to stop there in its fight in court. On its website, Cardiff published a press release: “It is not a surprise and the club has already prepared legal action against FC Nantes which will be initiated immediately because FC Nantes must be held to responsible for the accident organized by his agent”. All with the aim of recovering what Cardiff has already paid and claiming further damages. The complaint should this time be filed before the French civil justice.

Quoted by L’Équipe, Jérôme Marsaudon and Louis-Marie Absil, lawyers for FC Nantes, regret the “relentlessness” of the Cardiff club. Finally, as a reminder, a criminal investigation has been opened by the Nantes prosecutor’s office since the beginning of 2020 following another complaint from Cardiff City councils. An open procedure regarding the role of intermediaries in the transfer of Emiliano Sala and, in particular, organizer of the murderous theft.