EXCLUSIVE: “ EMILIANO SALA CONTRACT INVALID? “

DAILY TELEGRAPH EXCLUSIVE


Cardiff plan to use Sala’s Premier League registration status to argue he was not their player when he died almost a month ago.

Wednesday 20th February 2019


Emiliano Sala signed a potentially invalid contract with Cardiff City in the days before he died in a plane crash, the Daily Telegraph can reveal.

Lawyers working on behalf of England's top tier have written to the Welsh club this week confirming their record signing was not fully registered to play in the competition last month.

The remarkable latest twist further muddies a legal row over whether Cardiff should pay Nantes the full £15million transfer. Sala's problematic contract came to light after Cardiff sought clarification as part of their attempt to stave off threatened legal action from Nantes over the freezing of payments.

The Telegraph understands Sala’s Cardiff contract was deemed non-compliant with Premier League rules and was returned to them for him to sign an amended one. Neither the club nor the league would comment last night on the nature of the documentary discrepancies, although it is understood such issues are not uncommon.

Cardiff plan to use Sala’s Premier League registration status to argue he was not their player when he died almost a month ago. They have also written to Nantes seeking evidence the French club had fully deregistered the Argentinian prior to the January 21 crash.

The Welsh club are continuing to build a negligence case against their French counterparts over the plane crash and are understood to want Sala’s family to join them. More than one source said their case had been strengthened by an explosive interview given by Willie McKay to the Telegraph this week in which he confirmed his agent son, Mark, had been contracted to work for Nantes.

The McKays, who helped broker Sala’s deal, arranged his trips to Cardiff and back during transfer talks and the club plan to hold Nantes vicariously liable as a result if an official report finds any flight regulations were breached on January 21. That could include rules governing safety equipment.

Relations between Cardiff and McKay Snr have deteriorated to such an extent that the club have written to him warning they reserve the right to deny him entry to their ground.

Cardiff have also snubbed a request by him for a public meeting about the Sala saga with owner Vincent Tan, chairman Mehmet Dalman, chief executive Ken Choo and manager Neil Warnock.

On Wednesday both Nantes and the McKays found themselves at the centre of unrelated tax wrangles. Inspectors searched club premises at Nantes on Tuesday as an evasion investigation was launched by the National Public Prosecutor against the club's president, Waldemar Kita. Nantes were not immediately able to comment.

Meanwhile, a High Court hearing in London heard how Mercato Sports Ltd, a business registered in the names of Mark McKay and Willie McKay's wife, had cleared a tax debt in a last-gasp bid to fend of an HM Revenue and Customs winding up order.

The McKay family business, Mercato Sports, was on Wednesday mentioned briefly at the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Court at the Rolls Building in central London. A barrister for HMRC told the court: “The debt has been paid. The petition is dismissed with costs.”

Sala, whose body was recovered from plane wreckage two weeks ago, died from "head and trunk injuries". The pilot David Ibbotson is still missing but searches are set to be resumed for his body.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

trying everything to Welch out

We are acting disgustingly

Why should we lose 15 million f**k them ,McKay put sala on that shity flight

We are acting disgustingly

No we are not ffs 15 miliion pounds for what ? Nothing, McKay put sala in that shity plane

Embarrassing, i am sure this would not of come up if the poor lad was alive

Embarrassing, i am sure this would not of come up if the poor lad was alive

Of course it wouldn't have been an issue as he would have been alive and would have signed the amended contract, then the rest of the FIFA TMS would have taken effect an he would have been deregistered with the French FA, an ITC would have been issued and the FA would have completed the registration process and he would have been a Cardiff player. But it looks like non of that happened and as a result at the time of his death he was still a Nantes player.

Now it's over to Nantes insurance policy and I bet they WILL want the full details behind WHO arranged this flight and were any laws broken.

Squeaky bum time in the McKay house this evening if you ask me.

Embarrassing, i am sure this would not of come up if the poor lad was alive

Of course it wouldn't have been an issue as he would have been alive and would have signed the amended contract, then the rest of the FIFA TMS would have taken effect an he would have been deregistered with the French FA, an ITC would have been issued and the FA would have completed the registration process and he would have been a Cardiff player. But it looks like non of that happened and as a result at the time of his death he was still a Nantes player.

Now it's over to Nantes insurance policy and I bet they WILL want the full details behind WHO arranged this flight and were any laws broken.

Squeaky bum time in the McKay house this evening if you ask me.

Nantes were very quick to issue demands for payment ,I bet they weren't half they found salas body as it would confirm time off death,I don't trust that McKay or Nantes owner at all

What I find disgusting is Nantes demanding money even before the lad was recovered and before they even locate the pilot so don't talk to me about acting disgustingly.

Mackay and Henderson have a lot to answer for, lets hope when the AAIB interim report is issued the police will then step in.

Embarrassing, i am sure this would not of come up if the poor lad was alive

Of course it wouldn't have been an issue as he would have been alive and would have signed the amended contract, then the rest of the FIFA TMS would have taken effect an he would have been deregistered with the French FA, an ITC would have been issued and the FA would have completed the registration process and he would have been a Cardiff player. But it looks like non of that happened and as a result at the time of his death he was still a Nantes player.

Now it's over to Nantes insurance policy and I bet they WILL want the full details behind WHO arranged this flight and were any laws broken.

Squeaky bum time in the McKay house this evening if you ask me.

Yep .. he's gonna need Vaseline for the squeaking

Mackay and Henderson have a lot to answer for, lets hope when the AAIB interim report is issued the police will then step in.

Willie has nothing to answer for he was an agent and got the deal done ... f**k all to worry about apart from the Welchers paying up their dues.

What I find disgusting is Nantes demanding money even before the lad was recovered and before they even locate the pilot so don't talk to me about acting disgustingly.

Your right they were asking for money when they hadn't even found the plane,f**k Nantes

The club must have known about this within days of the transfer as they would have been unformed of the need for Emiliano to sign an ammended contract.

Surely our insurance company would refuse to pay out as he was not our player.

Well done to the club for keeping this discreet during the past month and hopefully the press and Daily Mail will issue an apology.

If he's our player we should pay up.

If he's not then we should all stop waving 'Forever a Bluebird' flags around and singing that song about him.

I just wonder where we'd stand if the plane had landed safely then he died in a non-fault car crash on the way from the airport. Would he be our player then?

The club must have known about this within days of the transfer as they would have been unformed of the need for Emiliano to sign an ammended contract.

Surely our insurance company would refuse to pay out as he was not our player.

Well done to the club for keeping this discreet during the past month and hopefully the press and Daily Mail will issue an apology.

That's how I seen it ,Nantes made a mistake by going public

Mackay and Henderson have a lot to answer for, lets hope when the AAIB interim report is issued the police will then step in.

Willie has nothing to answer for he was an agent and got the deal done ... f**k all to worry about apart from the Welchers paying up their dues.

Yes your club would pay 15m for an unregistered player wont they? Especially as your club screwed London's tax payers with peppercorn rent on your athletics stadium.

Last edited by pembroke allan on Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If he's our player we should pay up.

If he's not then we should all stop waving 'Forever a Bluebird' flags around and singing that song about him.

I just wonder where we'd stand if the plane had landed safely then he died in a non-fault car crash on the way from the airport. Would he be our player then?

Only if his ammended contract was signed.

I’ve said before, we made the offer of a commercial flight, McKay advised Emiliano to reject it in favour of him organising a private charter which he then cut costs with. Henderson is also in my mind due an investigation for weaselling out of the flight due to the conditions and then offering another pilot desperate for cash the job so as to keep his payment.

The club must have known about this within days of the transfer as they would have been unformed of the need for Emiliano to sign an ammended contract.

Surely our insurance company would refuse to pay out as he was not our player.

Well done to the club for keeping this discreet during the past month and hopefully the press and Daily Mail will issue an apology.

Cardiff City Insurers would only pick up the risk for a player whilst he is a registered player, he wasn't so the risk is with the insurers of Nantes.

I'm certain Cardiff City knew there was "Issues" with the documentation supplied to the FIFA TMS database, but I absolutely believe that Nantes were as well and those crass bastards were on the phone straight away demanding the money.

No doubt in my mind who the bad guys are here and it's not Cardiff City Football Club, it's owner, Chairman, CEO or Manager.

The club must have known about this within days of the transfer as they would have been unformed of the need for Emiliano to sign an ammended contract.

Surely our insurance company would refuse to pay out as he was not our player.

Well done to the club for keeping this discreet during the past month and hopefully the press and Daily Mail will issue an apology.

Cardiff City Insurers would only pick up the risk for a player whilst he is a registered player, he wasn't so the risk is with the insurers of Nantes.

I'm certain Cardiff City knew there was "Issues" with the documentation supplied to the FIFA TMS database, but I absolutely believe that Nantes were as well and those crass bastards were on the phone straight away demanding the money.

No doubt in my mind who the bad guys are here and it's not Cardiff City Football Club, it's owner, Chairman, CEO or Manager.

Agree

I’ve said before, we made the offer of a commercial flight, McKay advised Emiliano to reject it in favour of him organising a private charter which he then cut costs with. Henderson is also in my mind due an investigation for weaselling out of the flight due to the conditions and then offering another pilot desperate for cash the job so as to keep his payment.

Agree McKay has blood on his hands

If he's our player we should pay up.

If he's not then we should all stop waving 'Forever a Bluebird' flags around and singing that song about him.

I just wonder where we'd stand if the plane had landed safely then he died in a non-fault car crash on the way from the airport. Would he be our player then?

Totally agree.

If it turns out he's not our player it looks very embarrassing seeing him holding a City shirt. Hopefully we destroy all copies of the photo as they have no longer any place at the club.

The club must have known about this within days of the transfer as they would have been unformed of the need for Emiliano to sign an ammended contract.

Surely our insurance company would refuse to pay out as he was not our player.

Well done to the club for keeping this discreet during the past month and hopefully the press and Daily Mail will issue an apology.

Cardiff City Insurers would only pick up the risk for a player whilst he is a registered player, he wasn't so the risk is with the insurers of Nantes.

I'm certain Cardiff City knew there was "Issues" with the documentation supplied to the FIFA TMS database, but I absolutely believe that Nantes were as well and those crass bastards were on the phone straight away demanding the money.

No doubt in my mind who the bad guys are here and it's not Cardiff City Football Club, it's owner, Chairman, CEO or Manager.


Spot on

I'm certain Cardiff City knew there was "Issues" with the documentation supplied to the FIFA TMS database, but I absolutely believe that Nantes were as well and those crass bastards were on the phone straight away demanding the money.

No doubt in my mind who the bad guys are here and it's not Cardiff City Football Club, it's owner, Chairman, CEO or Manager.

If we knew there were issues why did we photograph him holding a shirt?

Surely that will go against us if it goes to court as it implies we knew he was our player.

I'm certain Cardiff City knew there was "Issues" with the documentation supplied to the FIFA TMS database, but I absolutely believe that Nantes were as well and those crass bastards were on the phone straight away demanding the money.

No doubt in my mind who the bad guys are here and it's not Cardiff City Football Club, it's owner, Chairman, CEO or Manager.

If we knew there were issues why did we photograph him holding a shirt?

Surely that will go against us if it goes to court as it implies we knew he was our player.

It looks like the club were informed after the tradegy.
If Emiliano had arrived safely none of this would have been an issue.

Best take your memorials down, your club hoodwinked you he wasn't even your player and they knew it but let you mourn a player nothing to do with you.

lucky yo didn't retire the shirt

PUB TEAM IN THE PREMIERSHIP!

Embarrassing, i am sure this would not of come up if the poor lad was alive

What an embarrassing statement by you.
Of course it wouldn’t have come up if he was still alive because eventually it would have gone through and be completed properly and then, legally, he would have been our player.

Mackay and Henderson have a lot to answer for, lets hope when the AAIB interim report is issued the police will then step in.

Willie has nothing to answer for he was an agent and got the deal done ... f**k all to worry about apart from the Welchers paying up their dues.

Yes your club would pay 15m for an unregistered player wont they? Especially as your club screwed London's tax payers with peppercorn rent on your athletics stadium.

Don’t feed the troll Allen. Most others realise.

I'm certain Cardiff City knew there was "Issues" with the documentation supplied to the FIFA TMS database, but I absolutely believe that Nantes were as well and those crass bastards were on the phone straight away demanding the money.

No doubt in my mind who the bad guys are here and it's not Cardiff City Football Club, it's owner, Chairman, CEO or Manager.

If we knew there were issues why did we photograph him holding a shirt?

Surely that will go against us if it goes to court as it implies we knew he was our player.

No becsuse when he posed he sighned a contract but that contract was then deemed void later so its believed .