World football governing body, FIFA, ruled on Monday that Cardiff City must pay Nantes six million euros, the sum agreed as the first instalment for the transfer of Emiliano Sala who died in a plane crash on his way to the Welsh club.
After signing for Cardiff for 15 million pounds in the January transfer window, the Argentinian footballer died in a plane crash in the Channel and never appeared for the Welsh team. Sala was travelling there from the French club when his plane crashed in the English Channel. killing the Nantes forward and pilot David Ibbotson.
The body of the 28-year-old Argentine striker was recovered nearly three weeks later after an underwater search found the wreckage. Pilot David Ibbotson remains missing.
The clubs were involved in a dispute over when the first instalment of the fee should be paid and FIFA began investigating Sala’s transfer following a claim from the French club in February.
Nantes had been due to get a £15m fee for Emiliano Sala – due in three instalments – and the clubs have been involved in a legal dispute.
Cardiff argued that Sala was not officially their player when he died and that therefore they were not liable for any of the fee.
The club claimed their contract with the 28-year-old was not legally binding and that it had been rejected by the Premier League for breaking signing-on fee rules.
“The FIFA Players’ Status Committee established that Cardiff City FC must pay FC Nantes the sum of 6,000,000 euros, corresponding to the first instalment due in accordance with the transfer agreement,” FIFA said in a statement.
Both clubs were notified of the decision on Monday and FIFA said they could appeal against it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman said at the time that the club would pay the transfer fee “if contractually obliged”.
