For a month plus now, the foot ball frenzy as been left with more questions than answers following the death of Emilliano Sala. Nantes, the club the Argentine was playing for and Cardiff where he was heading following the unexpected tragedy have both lodged investigations into the whole matter in an attempt to unearth how the whole ordeal occurred and revelations have started trickling in.
Willie McKay, the agent who brokered the deal to take Emiliano Sala to Cardiff City, has released a time line of the flights organised surrounding the deal.
McKay has revealed that his family arranged and paid for a number of flights linked to the deal, including the fateful flight which crashed in the English Channel killing Sala and pilot David Ibbotson on January 21.
Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman initially claimed they did not know who had arranged the flight – but McKay has revealed he paid for and joined manager Neil Warnock on two scouting trips to France to make the Sala deal happen.
He also flew Sala to and from Cardiff to look at the stadium and undergo a medical before his return to France to say goodbyes to his Nantes team-mates.All the flights were booked and paid for by Willie McKay’s son and registered agent Mark McKay.
The initial trip to France involved a flight to Nantes on December 5 with Mark and Willie McKay joined by Cardiff boss Neil Warnock and assistant Kevin Blackwell.
They discussed two Marseille players but found themselves more impressed by Sala, who scored one goal and set up another in a 3-2 Nantes victory.
After exchanging emails with Sala, McKay and son Mark flew to Nantes on January 8 with Warnock and Cardiff player’s liaison officer Callum Davies to meet Sala following a game against Montpellier.
The hotel meeting ended with an invite from Warnock for Sala and his agent, Meissa N’Diaye, to visit Cardiff’s stadium and discuss terms.
They were then flown to Cardiff on January 14, returning to France the same day, with confirmation the transfer has been agreed on January 18.
Sala arrives in Cardiff at 9:10am by plane in order to undergo his medical, with the hope of him being registered in time for their game with Newcastle that weekend.
The McKay’s arranged a flight on the Friday night to depart on Saturday morning, making Cardiff’s player’s liaison officer aware, before the fateful flight departed on Monday evening with the intention of returning him to the Welsh capital in time for training on Tuesday morning.
All flights were arranged by the McKay family, and they claim Cardiff City were always aware of the plans.
McKay has released the details after reports Cardiff are ready to launch a negligence claim against Nantes if an official report finds the pilot did not have the correct licence.
They are also said to be threatening to personally sue McKay over his attempts to generate interest in the 28-year-old, claiming potential price inflation.
McKay has accused the Bluebirds of trying to get out of paying the transfer fee and showing “no class at all” in the aftermath of the tragic incident.