Football bringing people together in the most horrible of circumstances
The disappearance of Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala has been difficult for fans of both FC Nantes and Cardiff City. The player had signed for the Welsh side from the French club, but was yet to play a single game for his new team when the plane he was travelling disappeared over the English Channel.
Nantes’ game with Saint-Etienne was paused on Wednesday evening as players, staff and supporters paid an emotional tribute to Sala.
Several Cardiff City fans made the trip to France for the occasion, and video has emerged of the Nantes faithful paying tribute to them.
The video shows them chanting “Bluebirds” along with the Welsh fans.
FC Nantes chant 'Bluebirds' along with the few Cardiff City fans who attended their match against Saint-Étienne yesterday. #PlayForSala
(🎥: Michael Thorne of @EuroflagCo) pic.twitter.com/StvpAFITUy
— Jordan A Jones (@JordAlexJones) January 31, 2019
The game at Stade de la Beaujoire was halted in the ninth minute (Sala had worn the number nine shirt at Nantes) so that those present could pay tribute.
The emotion of the occasion was obvious. His former teammates and their opponents joined in with the supporters’ applause, while the crowd could also be heard singing Sala’s name. Vahid Halilhodžić, Nantes’ manager, also appeared to be in tears towards the end of the footage below.
This is lovely. FC Nantes’ match tonight stopped in the 9th minute as a tribute to Emiliano Sala. https://t.co/mAAxoVWrjr
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) January 30, 2019
Earlier on Wednesday, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch released a statement saying that two seat cushions found by authorities on a beach in northern France are likely to have come from the plane that had been carrying Sala.
After an extensive search, Guernsey Police announced last Thursday that they had ‘taken the difficult decision to end the search’.
However, The family of Emiliano Sala have now raised over €300,000 via crowdfunding in order to resume the search for him and his pilot.
