Cardiff City FC Seeks €120 Million from FC Nantes over Emiliano Sala's Death Using AI Analysis

Cardiff City FC has filed a complaint in a French court claiming losses of more than €120 million against Ligue 1 side FC Nantes following a dispute over the tragic death of striker Emiliano Sala in a plane crash in January 2019. The Welsh club's lawyer, Celine Jones, stated that the estimated figure of €120.2 million was based on an "in-depth analysis" by a legal expert.

Cardiff had agreed to sign Sala from Nantes for a club-record £15 million (€17.4 million), but the Argentine forward died when the small plane he was traveling in from France to Wales crashed in the English Channel. Sala's body was later recovered, but the body of the pilot, David Ibbotson, was never found.

In a controversial move, Cardiff City has enlisted the services of the AI company Analytics FC to calculate that Sala's goals would have given them a 54.2% chance of avoiding relegation from the Premier League in the 2018/19 season. The club claims that Sala's death partly contributed to their relegation, leading to a loss of £104 million (€120 million).

Why this matters: The case highlights the complex legal and financial implications that can arise from player transfers in professional football. It also raises questions about the use of AI and data analysis in assessing the potential impact of individual players on a team's performance and financial outcomes.

FC Nantes' lawyers, Jerome Marsaudon and Louis-Marie Absil, have described Cardiff's conclusions as "almost phantasmagorical hypotheses" and "very far-fetched" reasoning. Nantes has filed a counter-claim based on "moral damage" and is demanding that Cardiff City be fined.

The legal dispute between the two clubs has been ongoing since Sala's death. Cardiff initially argued that Sala wasn't registered as their player at the time of the crash, but FIFA ruled that the transfer had been completed. The world governing body imposed a transfer embargo on Cardiff, which was only lifted after they paid £7 million to Nantes. Last year, FIFA ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala's transfer fee, just over €11 million.

David Henderson, the flight organizer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for hiring an inexperienced pilot and transporting the passenger without authorization. Investigations concluded that Sala was unconscious due to toxic levels of carbon monoxide before the plane crashed.

Cardiff City is now seeking to reclaim the full £15 million transfer fee, plus additional damages for financial and reputational losses, through the French legal system. The club argues that if Sala had been able to play, he would have scored goals and helped Cardiff remain in the Premier League. FC Nantes' lawyers have been given until September 23 to respond to Cardiff's complaint. The legal battle between the two clubs over the tragic events surrounding Sala's death continues nearly five years later, with Cardiff seeking a substantial €120 million compensation based on an AI-powered analysis of the striker's potential impact.

Key Takeaways

• Cardiff City files €120M lawsuit against FC Nantes over Emiliano Sala's death.
• Cardiff claims Sala's goals would have prevented their Premier League relegation.
• Nantes calls Cardiff's conclusions "phantasmagorical" and demands compensation for "moral damage".
• FIFA ruled Sala's transfer was completed, ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes €11M.
• Ongoing legal dispute over financial and reputational losses from Sala's tragic death.