Cardiff City lose compensation bid against Nantes over Emiliano Sala plane crash death

Cardiff City's compensation claim over the death of footballer Emiliano Sala has been rejected by a French court.

He was killed in a plane crash on his way to begin his Premier League career in January 2019.

Cardiff paid Nantes a club-record fee for Sala, 28, but he never played after the light aircraft came down in the English Channel.

The Welsh club sued Nantes for more than £100m over alleged negligence connected to the crash, which also killed pilot David Ibbotson.

Sky Sports News reported that Cardiff contended Nantes were responsible because they enlisted agent Willie McKay, whose son, Mark McKay, was Sala's representative, to arrange the flight. Nantes denied that claim.

However, the court has now decided Nantes was not at fault, and Cardiff did not suffer any reputational harm.

It called Cardiff's claim "extravagant" and instead said Nantes had suffered reputational damage.

Cardiff was ordered to pay €300,000 in damages and €180,000 (£416,000 in total) in legal costs.

The club have been involved in a legal battle over the case for years. They were previously told to pay the £15m transfer fee after their claim that the deal had not been finalised was also rejected.

In 2021, the person who arranged the flight, David Henderson, was found guilty of endangering the safety of an aircraft and jailed for 18 months.

He had asked Mr Ibbotson to fly the Piper Malibu plane because he was away on holiday, despite him not having a commercial licence or a qualification to fly at night.

Mr Ibbotson's rating to fly that type of aircraft had also expired.

Cardiff City said in a statement on Monday: "We deeply regret that the court did not recognise Nantes' liability in this tragedy.

"We initiated these proceedings so that the full truth of this case could come to light, in respect of Emiliano Sala's memory.

"Today, we note with bitterness that the principles of transparency, integrity and safety in professional football have not prevailed in this decision."

Sala's body was recovered from the wreckage of the aircraft weeks after the crash, but Mr Ibbotson has never been found.

An inquest into Sala's death found he would have been unconscious at the time due to carbon monoxide poisoning, likely caused by a faulty exhaust system.

(c) Sky News 2026: Cardiff City lose compensation bid against Nantes over Emiliano Sala plane crash death