Cardiff have to move on from Sala tragedy, says Warnock
Neil Warnock accepts Cardiff have to move on after the discovery of Emiliano Sala’s body, which he says has brought “peace and comfort” to the Argentinian striker’s family.
Sala’s body was formally identified by the Dorset coroner on Thursday night, a day after it was recovered from the underwater wreckage in the English Channel.
The flight carrying Sala from Nantes to Cardiff following his record £15million transfer to the Premier League club two days earlier crashed into the sea near Alderney on January 21. Pilot David Ibbotson remains missing.
“While everybody expects the worst, when it happens (receiving the news that Sala’s body had been identified), and I got a phone call last night, it was strange,” Cardiff manager Warnock said.
“It brings the family peace and offers them comfort - that’s what (Warnock’s wife) Sharon said from the start.
“You don’t ever forget things like this, and we all have things like this happen in our lifetime.
“You just have to move on, and put things at the back of your mind.
“There are certain aspects of that for me, meeting Emiliano, but the players have grasped that we have to move on and now we’ve got 13 cup finals.”
Cardiff owner Vincent Tan expressed the condolences of the club to Sala’s family and said Cardiff would continue to work with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch to determine the cause of the crash.
Tan said in a statement: “I wish to express my deepest heartfelt condolences to the family of Emiliano Sala for their loss. May Emiliano’s soul rest in peace.”