Cardiff City Football Club has been instructed by FIFA to make the final two payments to Nantes for the transfer of Emiliano Sala. Sala, an Argentine forward, tragically lost his life in January 2019 when the plane he was traveling in crashed into the English Channel, just two days after Cardiff had announced his signing. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld Nantes’ claim for the initial €6m (£5.1m) of the £15m transfer fee last August. Cardiff City confirmed on Friday that FIFA has now ordered them to fulfill the remaining two installments of the fee. Although reluctant, the Welsh club intends to comply with the payment.
Cardiff City’s Negligence Claim
In response to the situation, Cardiff City has filed a negligence claim against Nantes in the French courts. The club argues that Nantes should be held accountable for the accident that resulted in Sala’s untimely death, as they claim the flight was organized by Nantes’ agent. Cardiff City revealed that Nantes’ chief executive, Franck Kita, has been taken into police custody along with agent Bakari Sanogo. The arrest is related to an investigation that began in France last June, which involves allegations of illegal exercise of sports agent activity, forgery, use of forgery, misuse of corporate assets, and money laundering. Cardiff City’s negligence claim includes evidence of direct exchanges that allegedly show Kita informing Sanogo of the proposed transfer fee for Sala. However, Cardiff City questions why Kita would disclose this information to Sanogo.
Timing of Payments
Cardiff City expressed their view that it would have been more equitable if the obligation to pay FC Nantes had been postponed until the conclusion of the French police investigations and the club’s claim against FC Nantes in the French courts. They believe that with ongoing legal proceedings, it would be more appropriate to delay the final payments.
EFL Imposes Transfer Fee Restriction
The English Football League (EFL) recently announced that an independent disciplinary commission had reached an agreement between the league and Cardiff City regarding a fee restriction. As a result, Cardiff City is prohibited from paying fees for transfers or loans during the January transfer window and is subject to the same restriction in the current summer window. The EFL’s sanction stems from Cardiff City triggering the EFL’s 30-day rule by being late in making an initial payment to Nantes for Sala’s transfer. The process involved FIFA, CAS, and the Swiss Federal Tribunal, leading to this outcome.
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