'Emiliano Sala was abandoned like a dog': The devastating

'Emiliano Sala was abandoned like a dog': The devastating words of Cardiff City signing's father before his own death

A new TV programme into the tragedy will be broadcast tonight

By John Doel

MONDAY 20 MAY 2019

A new TV programme into the tragedy will be broadcast tonight

Emiliano Sala's late father claimed the footballer was 'abandoned like a dog' ahead of the doomed flight that led to his death.

Speaking before his death last month, Horacio Sala told a BBC TV programme, which airs tonight, all parties involved in the transfer - including clubs and agents - should have made more effort to look after the welfare of his son.

Sala, 28 , had just signed from French side Nantes when he disappeared with the pilot of the Piper Malibu private plane when it crashed in the English Channel north of Guernsey on January 21.

His body was recovered on February 6 following an extensive search but pilot David Ibbotson, 59, of Crowle, Lincolnshire, has not been located.

Horacio Sala, who died in April , told the programme: "I always expected to find him alive, but when the news said the plane was in the sea, it became impossible.

"Why was it so hard for them to find something safe? Why couldn't they?

"They left him alone, they left him alone like a dog. They abandoned him."

His mother, Mercedes Taffarel, added: "It still hurts so much.

"I think he's going to call me on the phone, but no. It's terrible, a pain that I can't explain."


Friends and family pay respects to Emiliano Sala at funeral
The family want someone to be held accountable for the death, the BBC reported.

Martin Molteni, a close friend of Sala's at school, told the BBC: "It was a really big thing for us that our friend, someone who lived with us, who played football with us, who went to school with us, went to play at a big club in France.

"Clearly there was carelessness, clearly there was negligence. Whose? Justice will determine it," he added.

"That person has to pay."

A Cardiff City statement said: "This season has been one of abject tragedy for everyone who knew Emiliano Sala. In this unprecedented situation, Cardiff City conducted a review to establish the facts. The status of the agreement between the two clubs is clear: the transfer between FC Nantes and Cardiff City was not completed. Legally, there is no grey area.

"The transfer agreement was subject to terms and conditions and stipulated that if any were not satisfied the contract would be deemed "null and void''. Several of the required terms and conditions were not satisfied. In addition, material negotiations were ongoing with Emiliano's agent.

"We were very excited about Emiliano preparing to join Cardiff. Tragically, his life was cut short before that could take place.

"Cardiff City has been working with the appropriate parties to ensure that the Sala family is taken care of - as a matter of principle. And we would encourage others involved to do the same."


FC Nantes said: "FC Nantes understands perfectly the pain of Emiliano Sala's family and the misunderstandings that may result.

"The club, like all of its players, was committed to supporting Emiliano Sala from his signing in Nantes in 2015 until his signing with Cardiff."

An investigation into the plane crash which killed the Argentine footballer will focus on the validity of the pilot's licence.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) named "regulatory requirements" as one of four areas in which further work will be carried out.

Its interim report noted that the type of licence held by the pilot meant he could only fly passengers in the European Union on a cost-sharing basis, rather than for commercial flights.

Pilots with his licence "must have a bona fide purpose for making the flight", according to the AAIB.

It has also since been alleged that Mr Ibbotson was colour-blind and not in fact permitted to fly at night.


Cardiff and Nantes remain in dispute over the £15m transfer fee, which is yet to be paid.

The Bluebirds offered Sala a seat on a commercial flight but instead a private plane was hired for him by former football agent Willie McKay.

Mr McKay has publicly stated he had no involvement in choosing the plane or pilot after contacting a third party - a man called David Henderson. Mr Henderson has refused to comment on the situation since January.

The Sala family have endured a horrendous time since the footballer's detah. His father Horacio died suddenly in April, while one of Sala's close friends from his home town of Progreso was killed in a car accident around the same time.

Allegations then emerged that pictures of Sala's body in a Bournemouth morgue had been posted online. Two people have since been arrested .

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I thought last nights programme made Cardiff City look bad, opinions?

Left him like a dog in a nice hotel and offering to make his travel arrangement what did they want a baby sitter for him? He was 28 ffs.

It tried to paint Cardiff in a bad light. There was nothing new in the programme, however I think there are two points to be made.
1. Sala choose to go back over to France, Naturally, and Cardiff offered to get him on a commercial flight, as much as the immotive comments of his father were natural, he was not abandoned by Cardiff, he was in France by his own choice and he was a grown man of 29 in an environment where he was totally at ease. The flight was totally down to Mackay.

2. The issue of whether the Transfer was completed, seams to be an issue and one which really is not trying to damage everything to do with Sala. Had that flight arrived safely at Cardiff, the relevant paperwork would have been duly straightened out, and no-one would have known anything about it, however I think City have a moral obligation for the Transfer but legally I think they may be correct in withholding the payments.

The bbc will say they are just reporting what Emilianos Dad has said to them.
But in truth - he was offered a commercial plane to use and rejected it and instead choose to use the plane which had been used previously by the club (but never at night - and never by this pilot - i think)
I didnt see the program but did it report that he chose to use the plane as it would be quicker and allowed him to spend more time back in France.

The club has no control and cannot mandatory insist he use what ever transport they tell him to. Seeing as there will be a court case / inquest about this - was there any need for this program ? - did it tell us anything we didnt already know ?.

To be honest I don't even see why the club had to arrange a personal flight for him, isn't that what agents are for.

Left him like a dog in a nice hotel and offering to make his travel arrangement what did they want a baby sitter for him? He was 28 ffs.

it has zero to do with either the transfer { in regards whether its valid or not } or the flight..

but I am and was quite surprised a newly signed foreign player worth all that money was left to his own devices in a strange city ..
you are correct in that he was 28 and probably a millionaire { or shortly to become one } but you would think there would be someone with him ? friend/wife/agent or infact someone from our club...
abandoned like a dog was harsh though..

Left him like a dog in a nice hotel and offering to make his travel arrangement what did they want a baby sitter for him? He was 28 ffs.

it has zero to do with either the transfer { in regards whether its valid or not } or the flight..

but I am and was quite surprised a newly signed foreign player worth all that money was left to his own devices in a strange city ..
you are correct in that he was 28 and probably a millionaire { or shortly to become one } but you would think there would be someone with him ? friend/wife/agent or infact someone from our club...
abandoned like a dog was harsh though..

I'm sorry I can't agree, it's hardly a strange city, it's like most city's. No doubt he has Google on his phone or TripAdvisor it's not like he hasn't travelled before in his life.

No doubt it was up to him if he wanted to bring a friend or girlfriend over. I don't see why someone from the club would be babysitting him or even if they did would he want that? I know I wouldn't.

talking about a 28 year old man here not a teenager. quite pathetic really.

When I was a similar age to Sala I started a job in an area where I had no connections and no friends. However it would not have crossed my mind or anyone else's for that matter that anyone else would have any responsibility for getting me to work on my first day but myself. The only people to blame are those who knew that the plane should not be taking off. I can't see how even Mckay can be blamed as he would have assumed, if he even thought about it, that the pilot was licensed and knew what he was doing.

Whilst a greiving father comments are understandable, for BBC to repeat them and capitalise on that grief in a bid to sensationalise just shows what a dreadful organisation it is becoming.

Left him like a dog in a nice hotel and offering to make his travel arrangement what did they want a baby sitter for him? He was 28 ffs.

it has zero to do with either the transfer { in regards whether its valid or not } or the flight..

but I am and was quite surprised a newly signed foreign player worth all that money was left to his own devices in a strange city ..
you are correct in that he was 28 and probably a millionaire { or shortly to become one } but you would think there would be someone with him ? friend/wife/agent or infact someone from our club...
abandoned like a dog was harsh though..

I'm sorry I can't agree, it's hardly a strange city, it's like most city's. No doubt he has Google on his phone or TripAdvisor it's not like he hasn't travelled before in his life.

No doubt it was up to him if he wanted to bring a friend or girlfriend over. I don't see why someone from the club would be babysitting him or even if they did would he want that? I know I wouldn't.

google and trip advisor do not make it any less a strange city...twice ive accepted jobs away from home and on both occasions i was given a hotel room but also taken to dinner and around a number of temp rented house to choose from..and i wast a record singing or a millionaire...was a while back maybe things have changed

i do get the 28 bit and as said nothing to do with either the finacial aspects of the transfer or the flights..just making someone wanted , respected and valued..
its hardly a crime , just not how id expect it..