A French tribunal has firmly rejected Cardiff City's £104 million compensation lawsuit against FC Nantes concerning the 2019 death of star striker Emiliano Sala.
The 28-year-old Argentine forward tragically lost his life alongside pilot David Ibbotson when their Piper Malibu light aircraft crashed into the English Channel on January 21, 2019. Sala was traveling to Wales to finalize a £15 million transfer to Cardiff City, who were competing in the Premier League at the time.
The Welsh club launched the staggering €120 million (£104 million) claim for damages and lost income, arguing that Sala's goal-scoring abilities would have been enough to prevent their subsequent relegation from the English top flight.
However, a judge in Nantes dismissed the claim on Monday. Adding insult to injury for Cardiff, the court ordered the club to pay FC Nantes approximately £400,000 to cover legal fees and "moral damages." This financial penalty is effective immediately, regardless of whether Cardiff decides to challenge the ruling.
Cardiff City has a 30-day window to file an appeal with the Court of Appeal of Rennes. Doing so would trigger a complete retrial—a lengthy legal process that could drag on for another two years. Capital Law, the firm representing the Welsh club, indicated that they will take time to review the verdict before deciding their next steps.
Sala's mother, Mercedes Taffarel, was present in the courtroom alongside Cardiff representatives to hear the devastating verdict. Celine Jones, an attorney for Capital Law, expressed severe disappointment on behalf of the club.
"Today we note with great bitterness that the principles of transparency, integrity and safety in professional football have not prevailed in this decision," Jones said, emphasizing that the lawsuit was primarily driven by a desire to uncover the truth for Sala's memory. "More than ever there is an urgent need to strengthen safety and ethical standards in the management and the protection of players so a tragedy never ever happens again. The world of football needs to take a hard look at itself."
On the other side of the aisle, legal representatives for FC Nantes, Jérome Marsaudon and Louis Marie Absil, welcomed the judge's conclusion.
"FC Nantes is in no way responsible for the tragedy that occurred, and we are pleased that the court has heard our case and confirmed this in very clear terms," the attorneys noted in a joint statement.