Cardiff boss Warnock to fly to Argentina for Sala’s funeral with chief exec Choo
Late striker died when a plane carrying him crashed in the English Channel shortly after he had joined the Premier League club in a record £15m deal
EMILIANO Sala’s funeral will take place in Argentina on Saturday – and Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock will be among the mourners.
Sala, 28, joined the Premier League strugglers for a club-record £15m from Nantes last month, but died when a plane carrying him from France to Wales crashed in the English Channel, near Alderney.
Sala’s body was recovered from the wreckage last Thursday.
Brit Pilot David Ibbotson remains missing, with funds being raised to continue the search, to which Cardiff owner Vincent Tan has made a personal donation of £50,000.
Sala’s body will be repatriated to Argentina on Friday ahead of a wake at boyhood club San Martin de Progreso the following day.
Warnock will be joined by Cardiff City boss Ken Choo at the ceremony in the town of Progreso, Santa Fe, the club said.
You went and you are an example for everyone. Eternally in our hearts.
San Martin de Progreso
San Martin de Progreso posted an emotional tribute on Facebook, saying: “We are waiting for you…like the first day you left but this time to stay with us forever.
“You went and you are an example for everyone. Eternally in our hearts.”
Ouest France have reported that Sala’s former club Nantes will be represented at the funeral by central defender Nicolas Pallois and general secretary Loic Morin.
Pallois, a close friend of Sala, will miss Nantes’ Ligue 1 game at Monaco on Saturday to attend the funeral.
Cardiff have pledged to continue working with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch to establish how the single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft came down in the English Channel on June 21.
In a statement released last week, Tan said: “Cardiff City will continue to work with the AAIB and investigators to find out how the crash happened and to assist Emiliano’s family.
“We have offered to them to arrange to take Emiliano back to rest with his family in Argentina.
“Even though he will be there his soul will always be in our hearts. We feel a tremendous loss but the biggest loss is borne by Sala’s family. ”
