Cardiff City’s £104m (€120m) claim for compensation against Nantes for the loss of Argentine striker Emiliano Sala has been dismissed by a French court.
A judge delivered a verdict on the transfer deal between the clubs before the tragic death of Sala and pilot David Ibbotson after the Piper Malibu plane they were travelling in crashed into the English Channel in January 2019.
Now, after seven years, and an intense legal battle between the clubs, the commercial court ruled that Nantes were not at fault in relation to the flight, adding that Cardiff did not suffer reputational damages.
Moreover, the ruling stated that Nantes suffered moral damage, with Cardiff ordered to pay €300,000 (£260,000), according to an Associated Press report.
Cardiff had claimed in December last year that agent Willie McKay, the person who booked the flight, was representing Nantes, which the French club refuted. Their lawyer, Jerome Marsaudon, stated that the only agent authorised by the club in connection with the transfer was Mark McKay, the son of Willie McKay, and that the elder McKay “was simply helping his son, given his extensive experience.”
Sala was travelling to Cardiff after clinching a club-record move to the then-Premier League side, with the Bluebirds spending £15m to complete the deal.
Following Sala’s passing, Cardiff pursued compensation in excess of £104m (€120m), relating to a loss of income and other damages, in response to Fifa ordering them to pay the French club the initial transfer fee.
Cardiff’s claim notably concerns how Sala’s impact at the club could have related to the team’s subsequent inability to remain in the Premier League. Cardiff would eventually suffer another relegation to League One in April 2025.
David Henderson, who organised Sala’s flight, was found guilty of recklessly endangering the safety of an aircraft and subsequently sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2021.
The judge, Mr Justice Foxton said Henderson, who did not have an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC), had shown “a cavalier attitude” and had not kept even the most basic records. He added that Henderson had intentionally breached Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations “for reason of profit”, and was “reckless, not merely negligent”.
Meanwhile Ibbotson was also not qualified to undertake the journey due to an absence of a commercial licence for carrying passengers or a certificate to fly at night.
Associated Press contributed to this report
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