FIFA asks Cardiff City to pay €6 million for Emiliano Sala transfer

FIFA states Cardiff City will reportedly have to pay French Club Nantes a sum of €6 million in their dispute over the payment of the transfer fee for Argentina striker Emiliano Sala. It will be the first instalment of the sum of €17 million fee they agreed to pay Ligue 1 side Nantes before Sala passed away in a plane crash on January 21, 2019. The English Championship outfit previously denied paying any amount of money to Nantes even though the transfer was completed before the unfortunate accident. 

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Cardiff City asked to pay the first instalment

In context to the rest of the initially agreed fee, FIFA informed AFP. They refrained from commenting on the transfer agreement between the two clubs. The FIFA officials stated that they never lost sight of the specific and unique circumstances of the tragic situation during its deliberations on the dispute at stake. Both the clubs have the right to challenge the decisions to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). On February, Nantes raised the issue of Cardiff failing to pay the €17 million which they agreed on.

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A Cardiff spokesperson said the club acknowledges the decision of FIFA but also added that they will be seeking further clarification from FIFA on the exact meaning of their statement in order to make an informed decision on their next steps. He addressed the unfortunate situation by saying that the plane in which Sala was travelling landed in the English Channel during night-time flight. The Argentine's body was recovered, but pilot David Ibbotson was never found.

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British's Air Accidents Investigation Branch had informed in August that Sala and the pilot were majorly exposed to potentially fatal levels of carbon monoxide. Cardiff City got relegated from the Premier League after a poor 2019-20 season.

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