Cardiff City vs Nantes Court Case Adjourned Until December
Cardiff City's court case against FC Nantes regarding the death of Emiliano Sala has been postponed until December.
Cardiff initially filed a complaint in a French court against Nantes in April 2025, seeking over £100 million in damages related to the tragic incident involving striker Sala.
Sala, a 28-year-old Argentine forward, and pilot David Ibbotson lost their lives in a plane crash in January 2019 while en route to Wales from Nantes to join Cardiff City.
A statement from Cardiff indicated that the adjournment was requested by FC Nantes, which asserted it was not 'ready' to proceed with the case, despite the hearing date being established since April 2025.
The statement further emphasized: "Cardiff City FC reaffirms its trust in the French justice system and will be prepared to present its case in court on December 8."
The Welsh club faced relegation in the same season Sala was set to join and is currently competing in League One after being relegated from the Championship last season.
Following a ruling by the Swiss Federal Tribunal, Cardiff has opted for separate legal action against Nantes since the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) determined it did not have jurisdiction over the club's claim for damages.
In April, Cardiff announced that they were seeking damages estimated at €120.2 million (£104 million) based on an extensive analysis conducted by a legal expert.
Cardiff faced a transfer embargo imposed by FIFA after initially refusing to pay Nantes the first installment of the £15 million transfer fee for Sala. The club ultimately made that payment in January 2023 after an unsuccessful appeal to CAS, which lifted the FIFA sanctions.
The damages estimate is based on the financial and reputational losses incurred by Cardiff due to their relegation from the Premier League in 2019.