Emiliano Sala’s devastated teammate reveals unanswered phone calls to Cardiff City ace after ‘plane crash’

A DEVASTATED former teammate of missing footballer Emiliano Sala has paid tribute to the missing ace - and revealed he hasn't been answering phone calls.

Heartbroken Yacine Bamou - who played with Sala at French club FC Nantes - described the Cardiff forward as his "brother."

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Sala, 28, who had just signed for Cardiff City, is feared dead after the small private aircraft lost contact at 8.30pm, near the Casquets lighthouse, off Alderney.

A Guernsey Police spokesman said: "We have found no signs of those on board. If they did land on the water, the chances of survival are at this stage, unfortunately, slim.

He wept: "I can't believe it. I'm imaging things, like the plane must have landed somewhere. I called him this morning on WhatsApp.

I had him on Facetime 48 hours ago, that's why this is hurting so much. I had congratulated him on signing for Cardiff, we had a good laugh.

HE WAS LIKE A BROTHER

"He was so happy, he told me how it went, he was impatient to go and wear the shirt. He told me how it hadn't been easy to leave Nantes, he told me all that with a smile."

"We spent holidays together, I took him home to Morocco with me. We had a weekend there. He was my brother. I've just got out photos where we're together. I've been looking at them.

"Now he's gone missing. For me it's unimaginable. All he did for the club, for me, for all of us. He's someone I'll never forget.

Cardiff City CEO Ken Choo said the club were "very shocked" by the news and training had been cancelled as the players reacted to the tragedy.

ACE HASN'T BEEN ANSWERING PHONE

He added: "We expected Emiliano to arrive last night into Cardiff and today was due to be his first day with the team.

"Our owner, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, and chairman, Mehmet Dalman, are all very distressed about the situation."

A club spokesman added: "We are awaiting confirmation before we can say anything further. We are very concerned for the safety of Emiliano Sala."

Snaps posted on social media suggest Sala had flown back to France to say goodbye to his old teammates.

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He was later driven to the airport by Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois, according to reports.

Sala’s "desperate" family has been speaking to South American media as they wait for information.

The star’s dad, Horatio, told Argentine TV station Channel 5 News: “A friend told me, I did not know anything, I’m in Rosario, I’m desperate, I hope everything goes well."

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