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Emiliano Sala, Cardiff City Player, Is Said to Be on Missing Plane Emiliano Sala, Cardiff City Player, Is Said to Be on Missing Plane
(about 1 hour later)
LONDON — Emiliano Sala, a soccer player who recently moved to the English Premier League club Cardiff City, was feared to have been aboard a small airplane that disappeared Monday night while crossing the English Channel. LONDON — Emiliano Sala, a soccer player who recently moved to the English Premier League, was believed to have been aboard a small airplane that disappeared Monday night while crossing the English Channel, and he and the pilot are feared dead, the authorities said on Tuesday.
“We are very concerned by the latest news that a light aircraft lost contact over the Channel last night,” Mehmet Dalman, the chairman of Cardiff City, which signed Mr. Sala last Saturday, said in a statement on Tuesday, according to The Guardian. John Fitzgerald, chief officer for Channel Islands Air Search, said that an air and sea operation would continue, but he did not expect to find either survivors or parts of the aircraft.
“We are very concerned for the safety of Emiliano Sala,” Mr. Dalman said, adding that the team was awaiting confirmation before saying anything more. “I think we’re sort of getting to that stage now that it would be difficult to find anyone alive,” Mr. Fitzgerald, 58, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “The cold would have taken effect. The tide flows so fast, there’s the wind and a lot of white water — it’s more and more unlikely for the chance of survival.”
The plane’s disappearance with two people aboard could be the second air-related tragedy to hit the Premier League in a short span. Less than three months ago, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of Leicester City, died when his helicopter crashed as it was leaving the stadium. The French aviation authorities confirmed that Mr. Sala, 28, who was about to begin playing for the club Cardiff City, was on the plane along with the pilot. The police in Guernsey, an island in the Channel, said only two people were aboard, but there were unconfirmed news reports of an additional passenger.
Mr. Sala was one of two passengers on the missing aircraft, according to news reports in Britain and France. John Fitzgerald, chief officer for Channel Islands Air Search, told The Associated Press that he was “not expecting anyone to be alive. I don’t think the Coast Guard are either. We just don’t know how it disappeared.” Mr. Fitzgerald said it was unclear why the aircraft had disappeared. “We don’t know whether it was system failure,” he said.
The Piper Malibu plane, a single-engine, propeller-driven aircraft, departed Nantes, a city in western France, at 7:15 p.m. Monday, headed for Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Piper Malibu plane — a single-engine, propeller-driven aircraft — departed Nantes, a city in western France, at 8:15 p.m. local time — 7:15 in Britain — on Monday, headed for Cardiff, the capital of Wales.
By 8:23 p.m., it had disappeared from air traffic control radar, about 15 miles north of Guernsey, an island in the Channel, the Guernsey police said in a statement. By 8:23 p.m. in Britain, it had disappeared from air traffic control radar, about 15 miles north of Guernsey, the Guernsey police said in a statement.
“The aircraft on passing Guernsey requested descent,” the Guernsey police said. They did not say why the pilot would have wanted to descend so far short of the destination. “The aircraft on passing Guernsey requested descent,” the Guernsey police said.
They did not say why the pilot would have wanted to descend so far short of the destination, but Mr. Fitzgerald speculated that it could have been to avoid freezing conditions and precipitation.
“They were possibly trying to get underneath the weather,” he said.
The plane was flying at an altitude of 2,300 feet when it lost contact.The plane was flying at an altitude of 2,300 feet when it lost contact.
A search-and-rescue operation started Monday evening, and British and French helicopters and airplanes resumed the search early Tuesday. A search-and-rescue operation started Monday evening, and British and French helicopters, airplanes and search craft took part in the search on Tuesday.
The plane’s disappearance could be the second air-related tragedy for the Premier League in a short span. Less than three months ago, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of Leicester City, died when his helicopter crashed as it was leaving the stadium.
Mr. Sala, a 28-year-old forward from Argentina, enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence relatively late in his career. At one point this season, playing for Nantes in the French league, he had scored more league goals than any other Argentine player in Europe’s major leagues — a list that includes the likes of Paulo Dybala of Juventus, Mauro Icardi of Inter Milan, and Lionel Messi of Barcelona.Mr. Sala, a 28-year-old forward from Argentina, enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence relatively late in his career. At one point this season, playing for Nantes in the French league, he had scored more league goals than any other Argentine player in Europe’s major leagues — a list that includes the likes of Paulo Dybala of Juventus, Mauro Icardi of Inter Milan, and Lionel Messi of Barcelona.
Mr. Sala left his homeland for Europe at the age of 16. After attracting attention from several teams in England and Spain, he was initially recruited to join the youth development system at Girondins de Bordeaux, spending time on loan to Orleans, Niort and Caen as a teenager.Mr. Sala left his homeland for Europe at the age of 16. After attracting attention from several teams in England and Spain, he was initially recruited to join the youth development system at Girondins de Bordeaux, spending time on loan to Orleans, Niort and Caen as a teenager.
In 2015, he signed with Nantes for 1 million euros, more than $1.1 million.In 2015, he signed with Nantes for 1 million euros, more than $1.1 million.
He proved to be a reliable, if unspectacular, striker — the “sort you do not see much any more,” according to his current coach, Vahid Halilhodzic. But this season he had a run of 12 goals in 16 Ligue 1 games, which made him, for a while, the most prolific striker in the country.He proved to be a reliable, if unspectacular, striker — the “sort you do not see much any more,” according to his current coach, Vahid Halilhodzic. But this season he had a run of 12 goals in 16 Ligue 1 games, which made him, for a while, the most prolific striker in the country.
His form was sufficiently impressive for Cardiff City to pay 15 million pounds, or more than $19 million, to sign him — a record for the club. Desperate for some offensive power, the team ranked next-to-last in scoring among the 20 Premier League teams, and had played a converted defender as its main striker for much of the season. It was in danger of relegation.His form was sufficiently impressive for Cardiff City to pay 15 million pounds, or more than $19 million, to sign him — a record for the club. Desperate for some offensive power, the team ranked next-to-last in scoring among the 20 Premier League teams, and had played a converted defender as its main striker for much of the season. It was in danger of relegation.
Mr. Sala was in Nantes on Monday to say goodbye to his teammates, according to The Guardian. He was due to start training with Cardiff City on Tuesday morning.Mr. Sala was in Nantes on Monday to say goodbye to his teammates, according to The Guardian. He was due to start training with Cardiff City on Tuesday morning.
The Nantes team postponed a match that had been scheduled for Wednesday against L’Entente, a club in France’s third tier.The Nantes team postponed a match that had been scheduled for Wednesday against L’Entente, a club in France’s third tier.