Cardiff ‘tried to insure Emiliano Sala for £20m the day after fatal plane crash’

Cardiff City tried to take out £20million insurance on Emiliano Sala the day after his fatal plane crash, according to papers filed to the High Court.

New signing Sala was flying from Nantes, France to the South of Wales in January 2019 when the Piper PA-46 Malibu light aircraft carrying both him and pilot David Ibbotson crashed into the English Channel.

A company of insurance brokers stated the Bluebirds failed to obtain the required cover before the plane crashed near the Channel Islands. However, the Championship outfit are alleging that Miller Insurance LLP failed to warn them that advanced notice was needed to add Sala to the club's coverage package.

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Cardiff are suing the protection firm for £10million in a High Court bid with the club unable to claim back the money paid for the deceased footballer.

Lawyers representing the brokers state the Bluebirds were "fully aware" Sala was not insured and it is not up to them to "chase" club officials to make sure new signings are covered.

Alistair Schaff KC told the High Court that Cardiff contacted insurers on January 22, 2019, the morning after Sala's flight was reported missing off the coast of Alderney. Mr Schaff said the club made contact via email seeking £20m coverage for Sala.

The legal battle follows the imprisonment of flight organiser David Henderson, who was sentenced to 18 months for endangering the safety of an aircraft.

In August, Cardiff were ordered to pay the first instalment of the £15m transfer fee after FIFA overruled claims he was not officially their player. Until that point, the Bluebirds had refused to make any payments to Nantes.

The South Wales outfit were forced to fork out an initial sum of £5.3m with FIFA ready to impose a three-window ban if they failed to make the payment.

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