Tributes to Sala at Cardiff match

Wednesday 30 January 2019

Emiliano Sala was honoured at Cardiff City's first game since the plane carrying pilot Dave Ibbotson and the footballer disappeared over the English Channel.

His name was included in the team sheet for last night's match against Arsenal, which the Bluebirds went on to lose 2-1.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock said he felt proud of his players’ performance despite the loss saying they “couldn’t have given me any more”.

He told reporters after the game; “we spoke about it before the kick-off: for Emiliano we ought to try to put a performance in. 

“I know we’ve lost a game of football, but there are other more important things.

“I can’t explain how it’s been this week. You’ve not really wanted to get out of bed, because you know what’s coming.

“Everything was really miserable. Nobody could actually do anything about it.

“In the circumstances, we’ve only worked on it for 24 hours, the system and everything.

“They couldn’t have given me any more. I’m proud to be their manager.”

Warnock had included Sala's name in the matchday programme, with a daffodil printed next to it. Banners in the crowd showed support for the Argentinian player and his family, with the biggest reading: ‘We never saw you play and never saw you score, but Emiliano our beautiful Bluebird we will love you forever more.’

Pictured: Cardiff boss Neil Warnock thanked the supporters after the loss at Arsenal (Nick Potts/PA)

Two days after Cardiff bought Sala from FC Nantes for £15million, the Piper PA-46 Malibu plane he was flying in disappeared as it flew over the Channel. It had made contact with Air Traffic Control in Jersey before going off radar. It reportedly lost contact near Les Casquets lighthouse.

Pictured: Dave Ibbotson was flying the plane carrying Emiliano Sala which disappeared last week. There's been no sign of the plane or either man since then. 

The official search led by Guernsey Coastguard was called off last Thursday, but a private search funded by donations has been launched with sonar equipment being brought to the islands to try and find the missing plane.

That equipment is expected to arrive tomorrow, with shipwreck expert David Mearns leading the private search. He is expected to start looking for the plane using the sonar equipment this weekend. Relatives and friends of Emiliano Sala remain in Guernsey until that happens.

Pictured: David Mearns speaking, with a friend of the Sala family, Emiliano Sala's sister and mother at Guernsey Airport earlier this week.

The footballer's mum, sister and friends have spent some time seeing the area where the plane is believed to have ditched for themselves. 

They flew over Les Casquets and around Alderney on Monday, before taking a boat to Burhou to look around the bird colony yesterday.