Cardiff tribute as Sala is identified

EMILIANO Sala will forever remain in the thoughts of Cardiff City, the club said, as his body was formally identified after being pulled from underwater wreckage in the English Channel.

Sala was identified by the Dorset coroner a day after his body was recovered from the plane, which had been flown by pilot David Ibbotson.

The families of both men have been informed, police said.

Cardiff City FC said in a statement: “We offer our most heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the family of Emiliano.

“He and David will forever remain in our thoughts.”

Other tributes were paid by Arsenal player Mesut Ozil, Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy and Paris SaintGermain footballer Kylian Mbappe.

Ozil t weeted: “No words to describe how sad this is. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and also to the family of the pilot. #RIPsala”.

The Piper Malibu N264DB plane lost contact with air traffic control over the Channel, north of Guernsey, on Monday January 21.

Sala had been travelling from Nantes in France to Cardiff, where he was due to begin training with his new club last month.

An initial search and rescue operation failed to locate the plane but it was later discovered by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) and privately funded search teams.

Shipwreck hunting expert David Mearns, who assisted in the second search, said his thoughts were with the family and friends of both Sala and Mr Ibbotson.

He tweeted: “Rest Emiliano.”

The aircraft remains 67 metres underwater 21 miles off the coast of Guernsey as poor weather conditions stopped efforts to recover it.

The AAIB has said it expects to publish an interim report within the month. in Peace

Emiliano Sala