Emiliano Sala: FIFA order Cardiff City to complete payments for transfer of former Nantes player

Emiliano Sala was signed by Cardiff City in 2019 but died on his way to Wales from France when his plane crashed into the English Channel.

Cardiff City Football Club have been ordered by FIFA to pay the last two instalments for the transfer of Emiliano Sala.

Following the Argentinian striker's death, the Cardiff club had been ordered to pay French side Nantes the first instalment of the transfer fee which amounted to more than five million pounds.

Now the Bluebirds have been told by football's international governing body that they must pay the second and third instalments of the £15 million deal.

Emiliano Sala was on a small aircraft on his way from France to Cardiff in January 2019 when he was overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning over the English Channel.

The plane, which he and pilot David Ibbotson were on board, crashed into the sea and both were killed.

Sala had been due to join Cardiff later that year on a £15 million switch from the French League 1 side. Despite Sala's death, FIFA previously ruled that Cardiff FC must pay the first part of Sala's transfer fee.

Cardiff claimed they were not liable for the full amount because Sala was not officially their player when he died.

In August last year, a court dismissed Cardiff's appeal against the order to pay the first part of the transfer fee.

In a statement on Friday, Cardiff City Football Club confirmed it had now been told by FIFA to pay the next two parts of the transfer fee.

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