Why Cardiff City demands £100 million from Nantes after the death of Emiliano Sala
On January 19, Cardiff City announced the massive singing of Emiliano Sala. The Argentine striker from Nantes would depart to Cardiff with big hopes and aspirations. He became the club's most expensive signing, reaching a whopping £19 million transfer fee (€23m), according to multiple sources.
Two days later, on January 21, 2019, the forward signed his contract in Cardiff and returned to Nantes by plane to say goodbye to his teammates. Sadly, the Argentinian forward would never arrive to his destination due to his plane crashing in the English Channel.
That same season, Cardiff City would end up relegated to the Sky Bet Championship (English second division), after finishing 18th place in the Premier League, with 34 points, just two away from salvation.
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Five years later, the Welsh team has filed a lawsuit at the Nantes Commercial Court, requesting compensation of £102.6m (€120m) from Nantes, which they blame for their relegation... due to the death of Emiliano Sala.
According to 'Analytics FC' estimate, Sala would have saved Cardiff City from relegation with his goals alone. An AI-generated estimate that highlights the massive investment it was for the former Premier League team.
The conclusion reached by the company is that the Welsh team would have had a 54.2% chance of remaining in the Premier League, if they had been able to count on their ill-fated signing.
According to 'L'Équipe', Maurice Nussenbaum, a legal and financial expert, was the one who estimated the moral, reputational and sporting damage to be over £100 million, which is the amount they are demanding from the French club.
In parallel, Nantes has filed another counterclaim, based on "moral damage", and demands that Cardiff be fined, the aforementioned media reported. What will happen? Only the judge knows.
It is worth remembering that the plane in which Emiliano Sala was flying crashed on January 21, 2019, but that his body would not be found lifeless until February 4, but it was not until the 7th of the same month when it was confirmed that it was him.
That is to say, after more than five years buried, the Argentine striker's last two teams are determined not to let him rest in peace. Let us know what you think in the comments!
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