(Reuters) – Emiliano Sala’s family are taking legal action against Cardiff City and French club Nantes after the Argentine footballer died in a plane crash two years ago, British media reported on Wednesday.
A single-engine plane carrying Sala from Nantes to his new team Cardiff crashed on Jan. 21, 2019 in the English Channel. He never played for the Welsh side who bought him for a club record 15 million pounds ($21 million).
The wreckage was found nearly two weeks later following a privately-funded underwater search and the 28-year-old’s body was recovered three days later. The body of the plane’s pilot David Ibbotson was not found.
Thirteen defendants were named but proceedings will be delayed with David Henderson, who allegedly arranged the flight, set to stand trial in October.
“The family of Emiliano Sala are asking the coroner to fix the inquest date when she reviews matters, with a date soon after the trial of David Henderson, which has been fixed for 18 October 2021,” their lawyer Daniel Machover was quoted as saying.
“In the meantime, in order to protect their legal rights and remedies arising from Emiliano’s untimely death, the family have commenced civil proceedings in the high court, but will seek agreement to stay those proceedings pending the outcome of the inquest.”
An official investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch revealed the plane crashed after the pilot lost control and the aircraft broke up while flying too fast.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
