Emiliano Sala: Cardiff set to claim transfer deal 'not legally binding' By Rob Phillips BBC Sport Wales football correspondent please log in to view this image Tributes to Sala were left outside the Cardiff City Stadium Cardiff City are set to claim the deal to buy Emiliano Sala from Nantes for £15m was not legally binding. The Bluebirds are refusing to make interim payments for the striker, who died in a plane crash on 21 January. Cardiff will tell world football's governing body Fifa that Nantes' conditions for completion of the deal were not fulfilled and Sala was not registered as a Premier League player. Nantes claim the required paperwork was completed. The French club referred the matter to Fifa, who want Cardiff to submit their evidence by 3 April. Sala, 28, was Cardiff's record signing, announced on Saturday, 19 January. The Argentine died when an aircraft piloted by David Ibbotson, who is still missing, crashed into the English Channel near Guernsey. The club was due to pay a first instalment on 20 February. A Cardiff source said the transfer agreement stipulated - at the request of Nantes - that the Football Association of Wales and France's Ligue de Football Professional had to confirm the registration to both clubs by 22 January, along with confirmation of the international transfer certificate being released. The Premier League also had to clear the registration. The Bluebirds insist the terms of the contract maintains that if any parts of that arrangement were not confirmed, then the deal would be null and void. They claim: Ligue de Football Professionel had not contacted Cardiff either before or after 22 January. The FAW did not confirm with Nantes. The Ligue de Football Professional did not confirm with Nantes until 25 January. It is thought the notifications clause was inserted because if the deal fell through, both Cardiff and Nantes would have had time to seek a new player before the January transfer window closed on 31 January. BBC Sport has also learned arrangements for a signing-on fee did not meet Premier League rules and so had been rejected by the league. A Cardiff spokesman would not comment on specific details but said: ''The club is aware of Fifa's request for a response by 3 April and is processing that accordingly. We have no further comment at this stage.'' Nantes say they completed all the necessary paperwork and have pointed out Fifa registered the international transfer certificate on 21 January. They say they have been fully compliant with Fifa's rules.
Not a very nice situation but one may feel Cardiff may claim that their 'purchase' was not delivered, so no payment can be made. I think this where the player manager comes in as being the deal maker and it is he / she, who may be sued by both parties, for failing to deliver the end result. Hope he has insurance.
So does that mean Cardiff fans will stop claiming that Sala is ‘one of ours’ etc? Pretty disgraceful behaviour by the club, in my view.
You’d normally pay in instalments. I don’t see a good reason why they’d have to pay beyond the initial payment, if that, depending on when it’s due.
I guess this is going to depend on where it was contractually, and you'd expect that should be clear enough. If not they may end up settling on half the agreed amount.
Pay up and look big Plane could of easily crashed closer to the U.K. or player may of got knocked over by a motobility scooter. Tragic end for the player and pilot Very avoidable but it’s done now so pay your bills to the French club that lost their asset either way
Shabby whether they get away with a technicality or not. It's an insurance issue surely so keep schtum and let the insurers sort it out.
What's he got to do with it? In modern football clubs few managers are responsible for arranging the paperwork and terms. They say who they want, try to sell their club as an attractive proposition to the player and advise the owner what they think the player is worth - the rest is then down to the Phil Beards and Les Ferdinands of this world. Given who owns Cardiff I doubt whether Warnock has any say in the terms that have been agreed or the precautionary measures such as insurance.
