Cardiff claiming €120.2 million from Nantes for ‘economic damages’ over death of Emiliano Sala

According to L’Équipe, Cardiff is requesting that the courts order FC Nantes to pay them €120.2 million in economic damages following the accidental death of Emiliano Sala on the 21st of January 2019. 

The aircraft carrying the Argentine striker as he was en route from Nantes to Cardiff crashed into the sea near Guernesey, with the €17 million transfer fee at the heart of what has come a seemingly never-ending legal battle between the two clubs. 

The Welsh club were relegated that season and believe that this would not have been the case if the player had not died. In coming to their recent invoice, the club enlisted the services of Analytics FC who specialise in “data science,” and believe that after weighing up the expected goals and expected points determined the probability that the club would have managed to remain in the league. 

On this basis, Maurice Nussenbaum, a French legal and financial expert brought into the case by Cardiff was able to determine the total damage they believe was done to the club by the loss of its player, with relegation to the Championship as well as what they believe to be “reputational damage” creating a total of €120.2 million. 

Nantes have denounced the “judicial relentlessness” of the Welsh club and have proceeded with a counterclaim, which L’Équipe reports as being based on the “moral damage” and requests that their Welsh counterparts are fined. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland