Topic: Emiliano Sala

[Lush is the best medicine...]

 https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/2019/january/record-signing--emiliano-sala-is-a-bluebird/

“Subject to international clearance”, if that hadn’t fully gone through (which seeing as he was meant to be in training that next day would suggest it had) then I can see how they could legally get out of it, but it looks like that’s done and whether he was registered with the PL is irrelevant as they can sign a player and not register him until whenever they want to use him

[darragh85]

that scumbag of an agent probably put him on the cheapest plane he could find.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

that scumbag of an agent probably put him on the cheapest plane he could find.

The unanswered question is who did he get the number from,did he get it from wanker or did wanker get it from him ?  Because one of them recommended the pilot to the other one.

[cdav]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/17/football-manager-neil-warnock-made-players-pay-him-to-get-into-t/

Colin Wanker, the manager of Cardiff City FC, was accused of being "crooked" and making players pay him part of their wages to ensure they got into the team, a committee of MPs has heard.

Warnock, despite earning millions as a manager, seems like he will do anything for a bit of extra on the side.

Cardiff's stance over this is ridiculous- they have a contract wih Nantes that needs to be honoured. If there is negligence from another party they will surely sue that party for damages, not withold payment to Nantes

[rafathegaffa83]

Cardiff's stance over this is ridiculous- they have a contract wih Nantes that needs to be honoured. If there is negligence from another party they will surely sue that party for damages, not withold payment to Nantes

Yep. I can't see what withholding payment achieves here other than stalling to get a far-fetched reduction. Whoever arranged that plane should be the focus of Cardiff's ire. Also considering Warnock was quite happy to get the sack before Christmas, I won't be surprised when he suddenly retires at season's end

[Clayton Bigsby]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47696561?ns_source=facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_linkname=sport&ns_campaign=bbc_sport&fbclid=IwAR24URznWVyiinBkhmMrFiJhiBJThpoN-DsX1L-fM5i6OYk3yPmr0skweZU

Not in the least bit surprised

[WhereAngelsPlay]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47696561?ns_source=facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_linkname=sport&ns_campaign=bbc_sport&fbclid=IwAR24URznWVyiinBkhmMrFiJhiBJThpoN-DsX1L-fM5i6OYk3yPmr0skweZU

Not in the least bit surprised

Scumbags,every side in the world should now refuse to do and business with them.

[thegoodfella]

What a horrible, yet expected turn of events.

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

Where does insurance come into this?

[NealFrom25Yards]

After the intiial 'delay', there was zero chance they wouldn't eventually try to weasel out of paying, based on whatever technicality or fine print they could possibly find.

'Our player' btw. 'Sala is a Bluebird' etc.

It'd be great if teams point blank refused to deal with them in future, incoming or outgoing.

[Dench57]

This is gonna get very ugly. Lawyers will do well out of it though.

[Flaccido Dongingo]

If ever a club was the embodiment of their manager

[bird_lfc]

Not surprised but still pretty appalled by it.

Any chance of some sort of settlement or are they flat out refusing to pay anything? Stupid question probably but I know nothing about this kind of stuff

‘Sala is a bluebird’ what a load of shit

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Scumbags,every side in the world should now refuse to do and business with them.

any club selling them a player will charge through the nose, want all the money upfront after the fifa contract exchange thing is done, so fucking stupid and short sighted from Cardiff and totally their fault, they’d have more than a case if it was against whoever put him on that plane that supposedly wasn’t meant to carry passengers for commercial reasons (which I reckon has led to the insurers not paying in full), but not Nantes

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Where does insurance come into this?

Will they pay out if it is proven that the Pilot shouldn't have been accepting paying passengers ?


The pilot had nowt to do with Cardiff though even though they've used the same company numerous times and Colin Wanker is on record saying how he had used them and the pilot.

Emiliano Sala plane crash: The story behind the transfer flights

The body representing air charter companies has called on aviation regulators to investigate the series of flights leading up to the plane crash which killed footballer Emiliano Sala.

The Air Charter Association (Baca) has concerns about the nature of the schedule of flights arranged by agents behind the multi-million pound transfer deal to bring Sala to Cardiff City from French side Nantes.

It wants the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) - which has an enforcement division - to investigate.

Air accident investigators are still looking into why the Piper Malibu plane carrying Sala, 28, to Cardiff for his first training session crashed into the English Channel on the night of 21 January.

The light aircraft was piloted by David Ibbotson, whose body has not been found.

From the beginning of December through to a few days before the fatal crash, a succession of journeys were made between the UK and France by the various parties involved in the transfer deal.

Football agent Willie McKay, who brokered the deal, has said he and his family arranged and paid for these flights.

Among the passengers were Cardiff City manager Colin Wanker, coach Kevin Blackwell and player liaison manager Callum Davies.

They were joined on some of the flights by Willie McKay himself and his son Mark McKay - agent to Nantes FC, where Emiliano Sala was playing at the time.

Emiliano Sala and his agent Meissa N'Diaye were also on several flights from mid-January onwards, when discussions about the Argentinian striker's £15m transfer to Cardiff intensified.



What do we know about these flights?


A BBC Wales investigation has found the flights were conducted by three different companies or individuals.

We understand that all were filed on flight plans as "general aviation" - therefore private, rather than commercial flights - and that none flew under an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC)

An AOC is a licence which charter companies obtain from the CAA - for a cost - and which provides a structure for the way they are run, including safety, flight operations, ground operations and maintenance, compliance and training.

Holders of AOCs range from small charter aircraft companies with just a couple of aircraft, to large airline companies, such as Easyjet and British Airways.

Without an AOC, BACA say there are strict regulations around how such a series of flights could be operated legally.

On 5 December, the Cardiff City contingent, along with the McKays, were flown from Stapleford in Essex to Nantes to see Sala play for Nantes against Marseilles.

The plane they flew on - a Pilatus PC-12 single engine aircraft with the registration G-KARE - is operated by a company called Flexifly Aircraft Hire Limited, based in Surrey and linked to a care home provider.

The G denotes a UK-registered plane, which can be hired from the company under a "dry lease" arrangement - whereby aircraft and pilot are hired separately.

Flexifly's website stipulates that any pilot flying the plane must hold a commercial pilot's licence with an instrument rating, have a minimum number of flying hours on the aircraft type behind them and "be approved by the owner before they are permitted to pilot the aircraft concerned".

The next seven flights between 8-18 January - when Sala underwent a medical and signed for Cardiff City - were conducted by Channel Jets.

A legitimate air charter company based in Guernsey, Channel Jets does hold an AOC - but only planes registered in Guernsey can be included on this.

BBC Wales understands that the two jets used to fly various parties including Sala, his agent Meissa N'Diaye, Cardiff City manager Colin Wanker and club player liaison Callum Davies, Willie McKay and his son Mark on seven separate occasions in January did not fall under the AOC at the time.

Both planes were registered in America, which means they cannot be flown commercially in Europe without the express permission of US regulator, the Federal Aviation Authority, and the CAA.

The flights were listed on flight plans, as non-commercial.

BBC Wales has discovered that eight days after the plane carrying Sala crashed, one of these planes was de-registered in the US and re-registered as a Guernsey-based plane.

It was then placed on the company's AOC.

Channel Jets have declined to comment beyond saying they had "provided full details to the CAA".

After Sala had signed up to play for Cardiff City, his agent Mr N'Diaye was flown back to Nantes on 18 January by Lord George Porchester, who flies his own Piper Malibu plane under the company name Altaclara.

The son of the Earl of Caernarfon, whose family seat is used as a filming location for TV's Downton Abbey, he holds a private pilot's licence.

As the plane is registered in the US, it cannot be flown commercially in Europe and Lord Porchester can only fly passengers in the EU on a cost-sharing basis, not for reward.

Lord Porchester has told BBC Wales he flew Mr N'Diaye as a "favour" for Willie McKay and did not receive any payment for the flight.

"I've got my own aircraft and I flew that flight," he said. "There was no financial arrangement at all with anyone, it was a private flight."

He added: "I've been pulled into this because I've done someone a favour."


The flights:


    5 December 2018 - Flight from Stapleford in Essex to Nantes - carrying Cardiff City manager Colin Wanker, assistant manager Kevin Blackwell, Willie McKay and Mark McKay to see Emiliano Sala play against Marseilles


    6 December - party returns from Nantes to Cardiff. Both flights made on G-KARE, operated by Surrey-based Flexifly Aircraft Hire Ltd


    8 January 2019 - Flight from Cardiff to Nantes - carrying Colin Wanker, Cardiff City player liaison Callum Davies, Willie and Mark McKay to meet Sala and his agent. They're flown back to Cardiff the same day. On N531EA, owned by Guernsey-based Channel Jets


    14 January - Sala's agent, Meissa N'Diaye, flown from Paris to Nantes. N'Diaye and Sala are flown from Nantes to Cardiff to have a look around the Cardiff City Stadium, returning to Nantes the same day. Mr N'Diaye is then flown back to Paris. All flights made on N843TE - owned by Channel Jets


    18 January - Sala flies from Nantes to Cardiff for a medical and to sign his contract with Cardiff City. Via Channel Jets in N531EA. Sala's agent Mr N'Diaye - who has travelled to Cardiff for the signing via a commercial flight - flown back to Paris by Lord George Porchester in his own aircraft, N14EF


    19 January - Sala flown back to Nantes by David Ibbotson on N264DB to bid farewell to his Nantes team-mates and make personal arrangements. Mr Ibbotson books into a hotel to await the return leg of the journey - on 21 January - to deliver Sala back to Cardiff for his first training session


    21 January - The flight leaves Nantes at 19:15 and disappears from radar around an hour into the journey.


Why are there calls for a wider investigation?


The Air Charter Association (Baca) feels there are sufficient questions around the way these flights were conducted to warrant an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority.

While the AAIB is investigating the crash which killed Sala and his pilot, it's the CAA which investigates breaches of aviation regulations and licensing, and takes enforcement action where appropriate.

Dave Edwards, chief executive of Baca, said: "We did our research into these flights, we've identified which aircraft they were and the routes they flew, and that gave us rise for significant concern.

"There's enough for us to feel that the authorities need to be looking very closely at this to make sure everyone is keeping the interests of the travelling public at the forefront of their minds."

Mr Edwards said Baca had been voicing concerns about "grey" and illegal charters to the CAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) for several years.


'Watershed'

Spoiler

They've passed their research on the flights connected to the Sala deal onto the CAA.

The demand for such non-commercial flights is driven by cost, he believes, with companies continuing to offer flights while dodging the high cost of air operator certificates and their knock-on effect on customers.

"What we're seeing is a push towards making it more affordable, more attractive to people," he said.

Baca says that the tragedy could prove a watershed moment for the aviation industry, as its longstanding concerns about safety and regulation of the non-commercial sector are pushed to the forefront of the agenda.

"Our industry has always had this line that it would take one famous person to be killed in an aircraft accident for it to come to the fore," said Mr Edwards.

"It's a tragedy, a horrible way for it to have happened, but sadly it's brought it more into the public than just within the aviation industry."

He added that Baca would like to see more prosecutions by the CAA of those who contravene licensing regulations, and stiffer sentences when offenders are prosecuted.

Willie McKay, who commissioned and paid for the flights around the Sala deal, and "aviation broker" David Henderson, who McKay says arranged the final flight which crashed, were both approached for comment on this story.

Is there a precedent for prosecution of those who breach aviation regulations?

Yes - and a recent one.

A pilot who overloaded a plane which crashed on take-off with three passengers inside was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

'Quick buck'

The plane came down on farmland shortly after taking off, narrowly missing the busy M62 and injuring two passengers.

In addition to a prison sentence, Murgatroyd's pilot's licence was revoked by the CAA.

Murgatroyd had denied the offences, claiming to be a "hero" for saving the lives of those on board.

The prosecution was pursued by Greater Manchester Police serious collision investigation unit.

Senior investigator, Sergeant Lee Westhead, said after the case: "Make no mistake, this could easily have been a truly terrible disaster, all caused because one man saw an opportunity to make a quick buck.

"His passenger weren't to know their pilot was flouting the law and had failed to take the appropriate safety measures."

[close]

Oh and Wanker hardly know McKay even though his sons had spent time at Cardiff.

c*nts from top to bottom.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

After the intiial 'delay', there was zero chance they wouldn't eventually try to weasel out of paying, based on whatever technicality or fine print they could possibly find.

'Our player' btw. 'Sala is a Bluebird' etc.

It'd be great if teams point blank refused to deal with them in future, incoming or outgoing.

Yep,leave the c*nts to rot and have to rely on their youth development,they'll be in the 3rd division within a decade,possibly drop even faster.

[Clayton Bigsby]

This is gonna get very ugly. Lawyers will do well out of it though.

Exactly what I thought. Lawyers are gonna be able to buy houses mortgage free on this one

[rob1966]

You'd think both clubs would keep this kind of thing private until it was all resolved - very disrespectful to the family of Sala to see this getting dragged through the gutter.

[deano2727]

Hope they get relegated. Disgusting.

[Clayton Bigsby]

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=206083&start=90

I'm thinking Cardiff may get away with this

[rafathegaffa83]

any club selling them a player will charge through the nose, want all the money upfront after the fifa contract exchange thing is done, so fucking stupid and short sighted from Cardiff and totally their fault, they’d have more than a case if it was against whoever put him on that plane that supposedly wasn’t meant to carry passengers for commercial reasons (which I reckon has led to the insurers not paying in full), but not Nantes

Yep

[CraigDS]

Guess this will come down to if a judge feels the contract was signed and sealed or not. If the deal was still going through and not complete then I guess they are maybe in the right doing this. All feels a little dirty though regardless.

[AndyMuller]

Horrible by Cardiff City.

[Zizou]

They should pay up and Nantes should give half to his family.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

I really can't stand Cardiff

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Guess this will come down to if a judge feels the contract was signed and sealed or not. If the deal was still going through and not complete then I guess they are maybe in the right doing this. All feels a little dirty though regardless.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/2019/january/record-signing--emiliano-sala-is-a-bluebird/

Cardiff City Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Emiliano Sala from FC Nantes, for an undisclosed club record fee, subject to international clearance.

so if that clearance didn’t go through (which I think I’ve read it has) they may be able to get out of it, however

CEO & Executive Director, Ken Choo, added: "It’s obviously been a long process to secure the services of Emiliano, but I’m very pleased that we’re now in a position whereby we can confirm his signature and officially announce him as a Cardiff City player.

So that doesn’t look good for them. Although the reputational damage may make paying up the better option

The interesting thing will be if Cardiff do get out of it on some technicality would Nantes end up suing McKay for putting him on an illegal flight?

[redgriffin73]

Disgraceful this if they're trying to worm out of it, what a fucking insult to Sala and his poor family.

[I've been a good boy]

I've always hated Cardiff, their fans are whoppers too. Get relegated you shithouses.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

I've always hated Cardiff, their fans are whoppers too. Get relegated you shithouses.

Absolute pricks. They announced the signing on their website and all social media platforms, and then after the crash their whole angle was that he was one of their own; a bluebird.

I’d like to think that not paying would harm them in the future, but given the greed in football I can’t see many clubs/agents/players refusing to deal with them moving forward - which is what should happen.

Someone on Twitter made a good point. Cardiff are alleging that because certain paperwork wasn’t signed before the 22nd then the transfer wasn’t complete, but the accident happened on the 21st. Obviously nothing was going to happen after that. If the paperwork had still been complete on the 22nd, Cardiff would have kicked off even more, not to mention how in the circumstances it wouldn’t have been right.

[Flaccido Dongingo]

I've always hated Cardiff, their fans are whoppers too. Get relegated you shithouses.

With Colin Wanker being the Cherry on top of the diarrhoea cake, really hope the Reds give this shower of shit a proper pasting

[Red Beret]

If i were in any way associated with Cardiff right now, be it player, groundsman or the tea lady, I'd feel disgusted and horribly embarrassed right now.

[paulrazor]

its poor form.

[Hinesy]

I've locked this topic as its been around since before the sad news of his death. If anyone wants to start a new thread discussing the future payment discussions etc, please do.