Cardiff City is demanding a hefty sum of over £120m from Nantes as compensation for the tragic death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash back in 2019. The Welsh club, currently playing in the Sky Bet Championship after being relegated from the Premier League, has taken their claim to the Nantes Commercial Court, seeking damages that they believe contributed to their relegation.
According to L’Equipe, Cardiff City’s claim is based on analysis conducted by Analytics FC, an artificial intelligence company. The analysis calculated that Sala’s goals would have given the team a 54.2% chance of avoiding relegation. Using AI, Analytics FC determined the expected goals and points that Cardiff City would have gained if Sala had played for them during the second half of the season.
Maurice Nussenbaum, a legal and financial expert, estimated that Cardiff City suffered a financial loss of around £120m due to relegation and reputational damage. This figure forms the basis of their compensation claim against Nantes.
In response, Nantes has filed a counter-claim, arguing for “moral damage” and demanding that Cardiff City be fined. The legal battle between the two clubs continues to unfold.
To provide some context, let’s briefly revisit the chronology of the tragic plane crash and Emiliano Sala’s untimely death. Cardiff City had reached an agreement with Nantes to sign the Argentine striker for a fee exceeding £6.8m. However, tragedy struck when the Piper Malibu plane carrying Sala to Wales crashed in the English Channel.
On 21 January, radar lost track of the plane as Sala was en route to Cardiff. The private aircraft disappeared approximately 20 kilometers north of Guernsey, an English island. The search for wreckage began, and on 30 January, possible debris from the plane was discovered. A few days later, on 3 February, the wreckage of the Piper PA-46 Malibu, registered as N264DB, was located at the bottom of the English Channel.
The devastating news came on 4 February when a body was found in the submerged plane. It was later confirmed on 7 February that the body belonged to Emiliano Sala. The footballer was laid to rest on 16 February in his hometown of Progreso.
The legal battle between Cardiff City and Nantes over compensation for Sala’s death continues to unfold, with both clubs presenting their claims and counter-claims. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for both parties involved.
