🕊️ Another anniversary: 7 years since Sala’s passing | OneFootball

Seven years after that fateful January 21st, the memory of Emiliano Sala remains intact in the world of football. What was supposed to be the definitive leap in his career, following a record transfer of 17 million euros from Nantes to Cardiff City, turned into a tragedy that still shakes us today due to the negligence surrounding the case.

The keys to an avoidable accident

The investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch revealed a "lethal cocktail" behind the crash of the single-engine Piper PA-46 Malibu in the English Channel. The pilot, David Ibbotson, lacked a commercial license and training for night flights. Additionally, the investigations determined that both occupants suffered carbon monoxide poisoning before the impact, and that the plane disintegrated in the air due to an excessive speed for which it was not designed.

The last message: a terrifying omen

One of the most heartbreaking moments was the audio Sala sent to his friends from the plane. With the honesty of someone who senses the worst, the forward from Santa Fe confessed: "I'm up here on the plane that seems like it's about to fall apart." His final phrase, "How scared I am," became the testament of a 28-year-old trapped in a chain of others' mistakes.

Today, Nantes keeps his legacy alive by retiring the number 9 jersey, while his image celebrating goals with his fingers pointing to the sky remains the symbol of a dream that negligence did not allow to be fulfilled.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU