Hillsborough QC Agrees to Represent Sala family

Hillsborough QC Agrees to Represent Sala family


Prominent QC Michael Mansfield agrees to represent family of Emiliano Sala


Michael Mansfield also represented most of the victims’ families at the recent Hillsborough inquests

By Ben Rumsby

Tuesday 26th March 2019

The family of Emiliano Sala has instructed one of the UK’s most prominent QCs in a bid to ensure anyone responsible for his tragic death is made to “pay”.

Cardiff City are now denying Emiliano Sala was ever their player and have refused to pay any money.

FC Nantes are also pursuing a case against the Premier League club.

Michael Mansfield, who represented most of the victims’ families at the recent Hillsborough Inquests, has agreed to help Sala’s relatives secure what his mother last week described as “justice for Emiliano”.

Mansfield’s Nexus Chambers yesterday confirmed he had been instructed by the family of the striker, who was killed in a plane crash over the English Channel two days after Cardiff City announced his signing from Nantes.

Nexus declined to comment further on what it said was an “ongoing case” amid speculation Sala’s family could pursue a negligence claim over his January 21 death.

Mansfield’s chambers profile describes the QC as having tackled “some of the most controversial legal cases this country has seen”.

Sala was killed in a plane crash over the English Channel two days after Cardiff City announced his signing from Nantes


As well as representing the families in the 2014-16 inquests into the death of 96 people at the Hillsborough Disaster, he has represented Mohammed Al Fayed in his pursuit of the truth surrounding the death of his son, Dodi, and Princess Diana, the families of victims at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, the Birmingham Six, the family of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, and the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, shot by the Metropolitan Police in 2005.

He is currently representing survivors and relatives of victims at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and survivors at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse.

Confirmation of his instruction by Sala’s family comes less than a week after the player’s mother angrily accused Cardiff City of showing “disrespect towards my family” by withholding the striker’s £15 million transfer fee from Nantes.

Mercedes Taffarel also told L’Equipe she had heard nothing since his death from Willie McKay, who booked the flight on which Sala was killed.

Sala's mother angrily accused Cardiff City of showing “disrespect towards my family”


She added: “All I’m saying is that I want justice for my son. I simply want the truth. Let justice determine if there has been negligence, if someone made a mistake, and make them pay.”

Cardiff and Nantes declined to comment on Mansfield’s appointment, while McKay did not respond to requests for comment.

Sources have told the Daily Telegraph the Welsh club are committed to ensuring Sala’s family are looked after, despite their withholding of his transfer fee from Nantes over an agreement they claim became “null and void” when he died.

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Not sure what the club is liable towards the family for? We made the offer to get him here on a commercial flight, he rejected and sadly what happened, happened.

This case & the Nantes Fc case will cost Cardiff City £millions.

This will now go on for a long long time and our club will be dragged through the mud beyond.

This case & the Nantes Fc will cost Cardiff City £millions.

This will now go on for a long long time and our club will be dragged through the mud beyond.

Sorry to say it but the club deserves to be dragged through the mud and vilified.

This is an opinion of my own and only judges will now decide whether I am wrong. Even then the damage will be done and the taste in my mouth will not go away.

All for the sake of money that was not then used elsewhere.

The club will not come out of this well.

You could substitute the word “justice “ for “cash”

This case & the Nantes Fc will cost Cardiff City £millions.

This will now go on for a long long time and our club will be dragged through the mud beyond.

Sorry to say it but the club deserves to be dragged through the mud and vilified.

This is an opinion of my own and only judges will now decide whether I am wrong. Even then the damage will be done and the taste in my mouth will not go away.

All for the sake of money that was not then used elsewhere.

The club will not come out of this well.

Tan in the last 9 years has lost 4 cases against Agents.
A case against
Dave Jones
Peter Ridsdale
Sam Hammam


I believe in total those cases alone have cost our club £millions upon £millions.

Now this one will be very costly, but as many of you say this is about a young man who we declared to the world as our player and intend to get out of it in a technicality and error caused by our own club.

This case & the Nantes Fc case will cost Cardiff City £millions.

This will now go on for a long long time and our club will be dragged through the mud beyond.

Of course you are correct on both those points. However, it doesn't make our club wrong for raising the issue.

I think it was the Wales On Line article that alluded to the fact that Nantes had not rushed to get all of this done and dusted because they wanted to ensure that they had a replacement lined up (City had similar safeguards in place apparently). Therefore if, as a result of that, the deal wasn't finalised surely it's not right that we have to pay the full fee just because Nantes were hedging their bets ?

It is a bit distasteful that this is happening but if we are in the right then I'm all for the club being careful in throwing £15m around. You have been critical of this regime wasting money in the past so surely you can't be criticising them now for wanting to be sure of the governance surrounding this record deal ?

If it is decided that we are liable then we should pay, and with interest, but if we're not then why should we ? The club have already stated they would look after the family whatever the outcome which seems to have been glossed over.

Just one thing on the costs of this legal action. I would suggest that if we are successful and proved to be correct that there is every likelihood that out costs will have to be paid by the other parties as part of a civil action so that part of it shouldn't get in the way of us seeking the truth.

Your right about it being about money! Our club has ever right to withhold this money it's scandalous for City to Even pay a penny until we have everything in black and white! This is alot of money we're talking about not pennies here we're talking around about 30 million atleast! Personally I dont think we should pay anything on the grounds that we offered sala a commercial flight which would of 99 times out of a 100 would of got sala in Cardiff international airport safe and sound but sala declined their offer because he did not fly commercially and our club would of thought that sala would not be on a dinosaur one engine plane! Having said all this above I think we should make a few payments to salas family as we did announce him as our player but then again I think nantes should make the sala family a payment also. This is going to go on for too long! So I say get behind the boys and concentrate on our doggy relagation battle!

This case & the Nantes Fc will cost Cardiff City £millions.

This will now go on for a long long time and our club will be dragged through the mud beyond.

Sorry to say it but the club deserves to be dragged through the mud and vilified.

This is an opinion of my own and only judges will now decide whether I am wrong. Even then the damage will be done and the taste in my mouth will not go away.

All for the sake of money that was not then used elsewhere.

The club will not come out of this well.

Tan in the last 9 years has lost 4 cases against Agents.
A case against
Dave Jones
Peter Ridsdale
Sam Hammam


I believe in total those cases alone have cost our club £millions upon £millions.

Now this one will be very costly, but as many of you say this is about a young man who we declared to the world as our player and intend to get out of it in a technicality and error caused by our own club.

thats not true how did he lose against sam hamman ? we knocked 10s of millions off the price ?,your saying to pay 15 million plus for nothing ? in a couple of years you will be moaning about the debt again this aint a bar bill its 15 million plus

Your right about it being about money! Our club has ever right to withhold this money it's scandalous for City to Even pay a penny until we have everything in black and white! This is alot of money we're talking about not pennies here we're talking around about 30 million atleast! Personally I dont think we should pay anything on the grounds that we offered sala a commercial flight which would of 99 times out of a 100 would of got sala in Cardiff international airport safe and sound but sala declined their offer because he did not fly commercially and our club would of thought that sala would not be on a dinosaur one engine plane! Having said all this above I think we should make a few payments to salas family as we did announce him as our player but then again I think nantes should make the sala family a payment also. This is going to go on for too long! So I say get behind the boys and concentrate on our doggy relagation battle!

agree the same people saying pay up will be moaning about the debt in a few months time

This case & the Nantes Fc case will cost Cardiff City £millions.

This will now go on for a long long time and our club will be dragged through the mud beyond.

Of course you are correct on both those points. However, it doesn't make our club wrong for raising the issue.

I think it was the Wales On Line article that alluded to the fact that Nantes had not rushed to get all of this done and dusted because they wanted to ensure that they had a replacement lined up (City had similar safeguards in place apparently). Therefore if, as a result of that, the deal wasn't finalised surely it's not right that we have to pay the full fee just because Nantes were hedging their bets ?

It is a bit distasteful that this is happening but if we are in the right then I'm all for the club being careful in throwing £15m around. You have been critical of this regime wasting money in the past so surely you can't be criticising them now for wanting to be sure of the governance surrounding this record deal ?

If it is decided that we are liable then we should pay, and with interest, but if we're not then why should we ? The club have already stated they would look after the family whatever the outcome which seems to have been glossed over.

Just one thing on the costs of this legal action. I would suggest that if we are successful and proved to be correct that there is every likelihood that out costs will have to be paid by the other parties as part of a civil action so that part of it shouldn't get in the way of us seeking the truth.

Just to add it was on the BBC article as follows:

The Bluebirds insist the terms of the contract maintains that if any parts of that arrangement were not confirmed, then the deal would be null and void.

They claim:
◾ Ligue de Football Professionel had not contacted Cardiff either before or after 22 January.
◾ The FAW did not confirm with Nantes.
◾ The Ligue de Football Professional did not confirm with Nantes until 25 January.

It is thought the notifications clause was inserted because if the deal fell through, both Cardiff and Nantes would have had time to seek a new player before the January transfer window closed on 31 January.

Reply on fb



Ex Cardiff City Director

Simon Williams:
Cardiff are going to look like a really shambles and shameless club here. Really embarrassing. No club or decent player will want to do business with us going forward. Awful. Who advises our club

Reply on fb

Steve Phillips:

We’re an embarrassment!!! Pay the money.
Imagine buying a car on HP, driving out of garage and writing it off with no insurance.... do you think the garage would say don’t worry about it?! Pathetic behaviour by Cardiff and very disappointing

She added: “All I’m saying is that I want justice for my son. I simply want the truth. Let justice determine if there has been negligence, if someone made a mistake, and make them pay.”

This isn't about Cardiff City this is about someone else, we haven't been negligent!

Reply on fb

Chris Morgan:

Cardiff knew he was there player he was flying over to to train with team a head of Newcastle game tan just trying to get a way with paying pay up tan and let salary family have the respect they deserve we all know agents are crooks as for the pilot very dodgy police should look at that more.

She added: “All I’m saying is that I want justice for my son. I simply want the truth. Let justice determine if there has been negligence, if someone made a mistake, and make them pay.”

This isn't about Cardiff City this is about someone else, we haven't been negligent!

Nexus declined to comment further on what it said was an “ongoing case” amid speculation Sala’s family could pursue a negligence claim over his January 21 death.

The people involved with the flight should be worried, what a CV this QC has !!!

Last edited by Bluebina on Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

Not happy with our clubs hierachy.
Maybe we should pay half as a compromise, then move on without CCFC looking classless.

Last edited by ElyBoy1984 on Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

Reply on fb



Ex Cardiff City Director

Simon Williams:
Cardiff are going to look like a really shambles and shameless club here. Really embarrassing. No club or decent player will want to do business with us going forward. Awful. Who advises our club

More made up clap trap, this guy is a Finance Director with HSBC, never been on the board at CCFC

Reply on fb



Ex Cardiff City Director

Simon Williams:
Cardiff are going to look like a really shambles and shameless club here. Really embarrassing. No club or decent player will want to do business with us going forward. Awful. Who advises our club

More made up clap trap, this guy is a Finance Director with HSBC, never been on the board at CCFC

Bullshit Simon was on the board with Rick Wright.

So the only bullshitter is you

Reply on fb



Ex Cardiff City Director

Simon Williams:
Cardiff are going to look like a really shambles and shameless club here. Really embarrassing. No club or decent player will want to do business with us going forward. Awful. Who advises our club

More made up clap trap, this guy is a Finance Director with HSBC, never been on the board at CCFC

Bullshit Simon was on the board with Rick Wright.

So the only bullshitter is you

Actually Simon posts on here


Just have a look at who the Directors were on them days and perhaps an apology might be accepted or will you do your usual thing and disappear from the forum.

She added: “All I’m saying is that I want justice for my son. I simply want the truth. Let justice determine if there has been negligence, if someone made a mistake, and make them pay.”

This isn't about Cardiff City this is about someone else, we haven't been negligent!

Nexus declined to comment further on what it said was an “ongoing case” amid speculation Sala’s family could pursue a negligence claim over his January 21 death.

The people involved with the flight should be worried, what a CV this QC has !!!

He is an expert in negligence, look at all the cases, he finds out who was to blame and gets compensation for the people affected, this is to do with the flights, and who was to blame for his death.

This case & the Nantes Fc case will cost Cardiff City £millions.

This will now go on for a long long time and our club will be dragged through the mud beyond.

Of course you are correct on both those points. However, it doesn't make our club wrong for raising the issue.

I think it was the Wales On Line article that alluded to the fact that Nantes had not rushed to get all of this done and dusted because they wanted to ensure that they had a replacement lined up (City had similar safeguards in place apparently). Therefore if, as a result of that, the deal wasn't finalised surely it's not right that we have to pay the full fee just because Nantes were hedging their bets ?

It is a bit distasteful that this is happening but if we are in the right then I'm all for the club being careful in throwing £15m around. You have been critical of this regime wasting money in the past so surely you can't be criticising them now for wanting to be sure of the governance surrounding this record deal ?

If it is decided that we are liable then we should pay, and with interest, but if we're not then why should we ? The club have already stated they would look after the family whatever the outcome which seems to have been glossed over.

Just one thing on the costs of this legal action. I would suggest that if we are successful and proved to be correct that there is every likelihood that out costs will have to be paid by the other parties as part of a civil action so that part of it shouldn't get in the way of us seeking the truth.

I agree with everything

This as got nothing to do with club so why are people vilifying club? This is about responsibility for the death of ameliano which clearly lies with whoever arranged flight! Can blame club for other things but not the flight

Your right about it being about money! Our club has ever right to withhold this money it's scandalous for City to Even pay a penny until we have everything in black and white! This is alot of money we're talking about not pennies here we're talking around about 30 million atleast! Personally I dont think we should pay anything on the grounds that we offered sala a commercial flight which would of 99 times out of a 100 would of got sala in Cardiff international airport safe and sound but sala declined their offer because he did not fly commercially and our club would of thought that sala would not be on a dinosaur one engine plane! Having said all this above I think we should make a few payments to salas family as we did announce him as our player but then again I think nantes should make the sala family a payment also. This is going to go on for too long! So I say get behind the boys and concentrate on our doggy relagation battle!

agree the same people saying pay up will be moaning about the debt in a few months time

Spot on, and it's easy to say pay up when it's someone else's money.

Reply on fb



Ex Cardiff City Director

Simon Williams:
Cardiff are going to look like a really shambles and shameless club here. Really embarrassing. No club or decent player will want to do business with us going forward. Awful. Who advises our club

More made up clap trap, this guy is a Finance Director with HSBC, never been on the board at CCFC

Bullshit Simon was on the board with Rick Wright.

So the only bullshitter is you

Actually Simon posts on here


Just have a look at who the Directors were on them days and perhaps an apology might be accepted or will you do your usual thing and disappear from the forum.

Put his profile up then, prove it and I will appologise-simples

Someone died is the main thing that seems to be getting forgotten. I think the club should just pay up and do the right thing.

Someone died is the main thing that seems to be getting forgotten. I think the club should just pay up and do the right thing.

No one is forgetting that someone has died and I bet you out of all the parties involved here, that Tan will do more for the family than anyone else. There are two elements here that is, given that there are discrepancies with the contract that have come to light, are Cardiff or Nantes the actutal owners of the players registration? The contract situation would have obviously been corrected on Sala's arrival at the club and a new one signed that was accpeted by the Premier league, but that tragically never happened. The second element is the possible negligence over the players death and thats where Michael Mansfield QC comes in. He will get to the bottom of which parties were responsible and for what.

Mansfield QC is a media hungry parasite. But aren't all lawyers?

He will charge £millions for his services. So who is putting the front money up? There is no way these people start work without a guaranteed up front payment.

Sala's family don't have that kind of money. Whoever is found at fault (pilot, McKay) in the end will not have that money.

Mansfield QC is a media hungry parasite. But aren't all lawyers?

He will charge £millions for his services. So who is putting the front money up? There is no way these people start work without a guaranteed up front payment.

Sala's family don't have that kind of money. Whoever is found at fault (pilot, McKay) in the end will not have that money.

Mansfield is a brilliant QC, his record proves it, he will get justice for the family and in the end thats all that should matter, regardless of the cost and to who

Mansfield QC is a media hungry parasite. But aren't all lawyers?

He will charge £millions for his services. So who is putting the front money up? There is no way these people start work without a guaranteed up front payment.

Sala's family don't have that kind of money. Whoever is found at fault (pilot, McKay) in the end will not have that money.

Mansfield is a brilliant QC, his record proves it, he will get justice for the family and in the end thats all that should matter, regardless of the cost and to who

But who will pay? Mansfield is not doing this for no money.