Cardiff City Slammed In French Court, Loses £100m Emiliano Sala Compensation Case

According to Ireporter Online, Cardiff City has suffered a major legal setback after a French court dismissed its claim for over £100 million in compensation related to the death of striker Emiliano Sala. The ruling was handed down in Nantes on Monday.

Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson lost their lives when the light aircraft transporting them crashed into the English Channel on 21 January 2019. The Argentine forward had been en route to finalize his transfer from FC Nantes to Cardiff City, then a Premier League club, in a £15 million deal agreed just two days earlier.

Cardiff had sought more than €120 million in damages, arguing that Sala’s presence could have helped the club avoid relegation and significant financial losses. The court, however, rejected the claim and ordered Cardiff to pay approximately £400,000 in legal fees and moral damages to Nantes. The payment is due immediately, regardless of any appeal.

The club has one month to decide whether to challenge the verdict at the Court of Appeal of Rennes, a process that could take up to two years and trigger a full retrial. Capital Law, representing Cardiff, stated that the club would carefully consider its next steps. Céline Jones expressed disappointment over the ruling, emphasizing that the proceedings were intended to seek truth and justice for Sala’s memory. She added that the decision was a bitter outcome for both the club and its supporters.

Sala’s mother, Mercedes Taffarel, was present at the hearing. Nantes’ legal team, Jérôme Marsaudon and Louis Marie Absil, welcomed the judgment, asserting that the club bore no responsibility for the tragedy and praising the clarity of the court’s decision.