World of football in shock as fears grow for talented young player
SHOCK and disbelief grew after it was confirmed that 28-year-old Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala was travelling on the aircraft that went missing on Monday.
The plane, which was bound for Cardiff left Nantes in north-west France at 7.15pm and had been flying at 5,000ft when it contacted Jersey Air Traffic Control requesting descent.
It then lost radio contact and disappeared off radar near the Casquets lighthouse.
Sala had secured a dream move to the Premier League on Saturday, putting pen to paper for Cardiff City as their record £15m. signing.
Cardiff City executive director & CEO Ken Choo said: ‘We were very shocked upon hearing the news that the plane had gone missing.
‘We expected Emiliano to arrive last night [Monday] into Cardiff and today was due to be his first day with the team.
‘Our owner, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, and chairman, Mehmet Dalman, are all very distressed about the situation.
‘We made the decision first thing this morning to call off training with the thoughts of the squad, management staff and the entire club with Emiliano and the pilot.
‘All of us at Cardiff City FC would like to thank our fans, and the entire footballing family for their support at this difficult time.
‘We continue to pray for positive news.’
Argentinian news channel C5N had spoken to Sala’s father, Horacio, who said he was worried and desperate.
‘I don’t have any information on the journey, the only thing I know is that it was a small plane,’ he said.
‘They are saying that the plane lost control in the Channel. I don’t know what could have happened. I am speechless.’
His mother, Mercedes, also told the station: ‘Here in Santa Fe, everyone is very emotional. We do not know what to think, it seems like a lie, the town is in shock.’
Nantes president, Waldermar Kita, released a statement saying he was hoping the striker would be found.
‘He absolutely wanted to say goodbye to his friends, which is normal,’ he said.
‘This is a nice boy, polite and loved by everyone, he is very respectful and courteous, I think of his family, and I hope he is somewhere.
‘I am still hoping that it is not finished.’
Messages of hope poured in from the footballing community, including messages from former team mates and pundits.
Amine Harit, a Moroccan footballer who played with Sala at Nantes before joining German side FC Schalke in 2017, said he was praying for the missing player in a tweet.
He wrote: ‘Emi..” followed by a string of praying hands and crying emojis.
Sala’s former club, Chamois Niortais FC, tweeted that the whole team was thinking of the missing player as the search continued.
‘Tell us it’s a joke... Emi.... All the #TeamChamois thinking of you,’ tweeted the club’s official account.
BBC Match of the Day pundit, Gary Lineker, tweeted ‘Terribly worrying news that Cardiff City’s new signing, Emiliano Sala, was on board the small plane that has gone missing. Hopefully, somehow, they’ll be found and safe.’
Sala’s last social media post was a picture of himself with his former Nantes team mates captioned ‘Ciao’.
