Nantes FINED for Emiliano Sala tributes after fans used flares to honour tragic star
NANTES have been fined £14,300 for putting on a stunning tribute to tragic Emiliano Sala in their stadium.
In a heartless decision by the French Football League, the club have been rapped over their colourful tribute to the late striker, who died in a light aircraft crash on January 21.
The Ligue 1 club’s fans set off flares and held up a massive banner of Sala as supporters raised scarves above their heads ahead of their game with St Etienne on January 30.
It was the use of pyrotechnics that has seen them stung by authorities.
Cardiff supporters who made the trip to France unfurled a banner during a highly-emotional game for football fans everywhere.
The banner read: “We never saw you play and never saw you score. But Emiliano our beautiful Bluebird, we will love you forever.”
A large banner was Sala’s face adorned the pitch before kick-off and the powerful scenes saw Nantes boss Vahid Halilhodzic break down in tears.
Meanwhile, Nantes and Cardiff have agreed to defer the first instalment on Emiliano Sala’s £15million transfer fee.
The messy aftermath of the transfer, following the tragic Argentine’s death, looks to have taken a step forward as the Bluebirds pushed back the date of their first payment.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that a Cardiff blunder could have cost Sala’s family £600,000 in insurance payouts.
According to the , players automatically become part of the PFA’s pension scheme as soon as they are registered with the top flight organisation.
And the PFA’s death-in-service payment to families is valued at £600,000.
The Professional Footballers’ Association is reportedly pursuing the pension fund for them to honour the payment, even though he was not registered with the Premier League.
Meanwhile Sala’s transfer broker Willie McKay insists the deal for the striker was clean.
McKay is stunned by claims the transfer of the Nantes star to Cardiff was corrupt and distanced Bluebirds manager Neil Wrnock from any wrongdoing.