Footballer Sala died of head injuries in plane crash, inquest told

 Emiliano Sala died as a result of head injuries when the plane he was travelling in crashed in the English Channel, an inquest heard.

The 28-year-old Cardiff City footballer had recently signed from the French side Nantes in a record transfer deal when the plane careered into the water on Jan 21. David Ibbotson, the plane’s pilot, is still missing.

At an inquest in Bournemouth, Brendan Allen, the acting senior Dorset coroner, heard evidence that a post-mortem examination had given Sala’s cause of death as “head and trunk injuries”.

The hearing, which lasted for just five minutes and took place at Bournemouth Town Hall in the absence of members of Sala’s family, was adjourned until November.

Ian Parry, the senior coroner’s officer, said Sala was pronounced dead at Portland port on Feb 7 and was formally identified by fingerprints. His full name was given as Emiliano Raul Sala, who was born in October 1990 at Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.

Mr Parry added that Sala’s body had been recovered from the site of the crash but that “Mr Ibbotson has not been found”.

On Good Morning Britain on ITV yesterday, Mr Ibbotson’s daughter Danielle said she would never give up hope of finding her father.