Cardiff to pay 5.3 Million for Sala

[delmbox]

All a bit tasteless this and I don't think we've come out covered in glory to be honest. Not one of the club's finest moments.

[Igovernor]

It may be that City must pay the £5.5m for the transfer equivalent to the first installment not as a first installment

[Pedro de la Rosa]

All a bit tasteless this and I don't think we've come out covered in glory to be honest. Not one of the club's finest moments.

On the contrary, I think they've done the right thing. They've kept quiet and handed it to the insurers etc. Nantes have kicked up a fuss but this ruling shows the transfer wasn't finalised. It's horrible but the club did offer a sum to draw a line under it and Nantes refused. I'm not sure what the club could have done but we're not in a position to just throw away £10m.

[xsnaggle]

On the contrary, I think they've done the right thing. They've kept quiet and handed it to the insurers etc. Nantes have kicked up a fuss but this ruling shows the transfer wasn't finalised. It's horrible but the club did offer a sum to draw a line under it and Nantes refused. I'm not sure what the club could have done but we're not in a position to just throw away £10m.

I agree. and if that £10m was already set aside just in case it might now be freed up for other uses.

[delmbox]

On the contrary, I think they've done the right thing. They've kept quiet and handed it to the insurers etc. Nantes have kicked up a fuss but this ruling shows the transfer wasn't finalised. It's horrible but the club did offer a sum to draw a line under it and Nantes refused. I'm not sure what the club could have done but we're not in a position to just throw away £10m.

I understand why you see it that way and there is a financial logic to it, it's just after all the "once a bluebird, always a bluebird" and posing with the shirt etc it's pretty gross to see two clubs arguing the smallprint of a "commodity" and I wish we'd paid the fee that we were committed to paying. Or even better paid most and of it and donated a part of it to his family.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I understand why you see it that way and there is a financial logic to it, it's just after all the "once a bluebird, always a bluebird" and posing with the shirt etc it's pretty gross to see two clubs arguing the smallprint of a "commodity" and I wish we'd paid the fee that we were committed to paying. Or even better paid most and of it and donated a part of it to his family.

Insurers will be involved and telling the club what to do. Nantes and Cardiff lost out because of Willie McKay's actions. He was coming back over to sign for us, and the grief was legitimate from all parties. I honestly have no idea what the club could have done, £10m is pretty much our record signing, we aren't in a position to piss that up the wall. I hope his family are supported and the club would do well to pay the money to his youth club as a PR exercise. It wouldn't cost a lot but would boost the club's reputation.

[G rangetown Blue]

Insurers will be involved and telling the club what to do. Nantes and Cardiff lost out because of Willie McKay's actions. He was coming back over to sign for us, and the grief was legitimate from all parties. I honestly have no idea what the club could have done, £10m is pretty much our record signing, we aren't in a position to piss that up the wall. I hope his family are supported and the club would do well to pay the money to his youth club as a PR exercise. It wouldn't cost a lot but would boost the club's reputation.

This is what I thought.

Let’s pay what we have to, and sue McKay if our insurance (I’m assuming we have some) doesn’t pay out.

[chris lee]

It is a shame to hear this may not be the end of the situation.

When I first heard the news earlier, my first thoughts where it sounded like a common sense decision. Both clubs had valid perspectives on the situation, it was a tough situation that no one would walk away happy from, 5.3 million looked to be on the surface a good compromise position for me put forward by the committee.

There is a saying in business; the best settlements is when nobody is 100% happy.
5.3m sounded like a sensible ruling, I still hope that is the FINAL decision as I fell it is one both sets of clubs and fans can sallow.

[G rangetown Blue]

It is a shame to hear this may not be the end of the situation.

When I first heard the news earlier, my first thoughts where it sounded like a common sense decision. Both clubs had valid perspectives on the situation, it was a tough situation that no one would walk away happy from, 5.3 million looked to be on the surface a good compromise position for me put forward by the committee.

There is a saying in business; the best settlements is when nobody is 100% happy.
5.3m sounded like a sensible ruling, I still hope that is the FINAL decision as I fell it is one both sets of clubs and fans can sallow.

Don’t forget Bordeaux are due 33% of any fee too.

[Father Dougal]

It is a shame to hear this may not be the end of the situation.

When I first heard the news earlier, my first thoughts where it sounded like a common sense decision. Both clubs had valid perspectives on the situation, it was a tough situation that no one would walk away happy from, 5.3 million looked to be on the surface a good compromise position for me put forward by the committee.

There is a saying in business; the best settlements is when nobody is 100% happy.
5.3m sounded like a sensible ruling, I still hope that is the FINAL decision as I fell it is one both sets of clubs and fans can sallow.

It may be common sense but FIFA couldn’t make a compromise solution. Either we owe the money or we don’t. Either he was registered as ours or he wasn’t.

Then the insurers will have their own view.


FIFA can’t say “we can’t decide so just give them some money and we’ll never speak of this again.” The clubs could do that independently but when it gets to this level ultimately someone has to win and someone has to lose.

[Since62]

This is what I thought.

Let’s pay what we have to, and sue McKay if our insurance (I’m assuming we have some) doesn’t pay out.

Not a lot of point in pursuing Willie McKay for money as he is an unduscharged bankrupt under a bankruptcy restriction order until at least 2023.

The only hope of him being punished is in a criminal case under two options

1. He is due back in court shortly to try and defend a criminal claim against him for breaches of his bankruptcy

2. There may possibly in future be manslaughter charges relating to involvement in the plane crash

[The Lone Gunman]

On the contrary, I think they've done the right thing. They've kept quiet and handed it to the insurers etc.

Kept quiet? You're joking, right?

I've no idea whether City are legally obliged to pay the fee or not, but one thing the club hasn't done is kept quiet. Indeed, rather than keep quiet as they should have done, they've made a series of unnecessary statements about the situation as it has developed.

[xsnaggle]

Kept quiet? You're joking, right?

I've no idea whether City are legally obliged to pay the fee or not, but one thing the club hasn't done is kept quiet. Indeed, rather than keep quiet as they should have done, they've made a series of unnecessary statements about the situation as it has developed.

I agree some of the comments/statements seem unnecessary but again I would be very surprised if they were not made on advice from insurers or briefs, to get a repsonse out in the public domain for later.
Even if the statement might be made without being directly advised, the lawyers etc would shirley have scrutinised the wording to make it legally 'safe'.

[jon1959]

Kept quiet? You're joking, right?

I've no idea whether City are legally obliged to pay the fee or not, but one thing the club hasn't done is kept quiet. Indeed, rather than keep quiet as they should have done, they've made a series of unnecessary statements about the situation as it has developed.

I can't remember every statement made by the club but my recollection was that they have been fairly restrained. They have normally only made a press statement when news stories or widespread public speculation demanded some sort of response.

The three main messages that have come out of the club since the tragedy are: shock and grief at the deaths and concern for the families; a need to totally overhaul the way the private jet system works and calling for more controls and regulation; and finally on the fee - the club needed to understand the legal/contractual position better but would pay what it was required to pay once that had been resolved.

The club get things wrong, but not so much in recent years. On this I think they have got it mostly right.

[The Lone Gunman]

I can't remember every statement made by the club but my recollection was that they have been fairly restrained. They have normally only made a press statement when news stories or widespread public speculation demanded some sort of response.

You think really this statement was necessary?

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...tement-2502192

Or the one quoted here?

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...t-out-16054313

What value do such statements have?

[Pedro de la Rosa]

You think really this statement was necessary?

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...tement-2502192

Or the one quoted here?

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...t-out-16054313

What value do such statements have?

Neither of them relate to the fee, do they? They've not got involved with the tit for tat that Nantes tried to involve the club in. Also, when the news comes out about the pilot etc, I don't think the club can say nothing.

[The Lone Gunman]

Neither of them relate to the fee, do they? They've not got involved with the tit for tat that Nantes tried to involve the club in. Also, when the news comes out about the pilot etc, I don't think the club can say nothing.

What have Nantes actually said publicly prior to today? What 'tit for tat' have they attempted to involve the club in?

[The Lone Gunman]

Neither of them relate to the fee, do they?

You think they're unconnected?

[Optimistic Nick]

On the contrary, I think they've done the right thing. They've kept quiet and handed it to the insurers etc. Nantes have kicked up a fuss but this ruling shows the transfer wasn't finalised. It's horrible but the club did offer a sum to draw a line under it and Nantes refused. I'm not sure what the club could have done but we're not in a position to just throw away £10m.

Agree. Clearly the most important thing here was the tragic death of two people, but that a dispute over £10m was related to it does not diminish the importance of £10m.

What strikes me as slightly odd, is that the decision seems to represent a middle-ground when I didn't think such a thing was possible. We either signed him or we didn't, it feels kinda binary to me.

[Baloo]

Agree. Clearly the most important thing here was the tragic death of two people, but that a dispute over £10m was related to it does not diminish the importance of £10m.

What strikes me as slightly odd, is that the decision seems to represent a middle-ground when I didn't think such a thing was possible. We either signed him or we didn't, it feels kinda binary to me.

Not sure that’s the case. Only the initial payment is currently overdue as far as I’m aware so that’s possibly the only payment Nantes could claim against at this stage. Possibly, it’s not very clear.

[Des Parrot]

The FIFA quote taken from the FIFA website (no press interpretation)

In a meeting held on 25 September 2019, the FIFA Players’ Status Committee established that Cardiff City FC must pay FC Nantes the sum of EUR 6,000,000, corresponding to the first instalment due in accordance with the transfer agreement concluded between the parties on 19 January 2019 for the transfer of the late Emiliano Sala from FC Nantes to Cardiff City FC.

The FIFA Players’ Status Committee, which never lost sight of the specific and unique circumstances of this tragic situation during its deliberations on the dispute at stake, refrained from imposing procedural costs on the parties.

The findings of the decision were notified to the parties concerned today. Within a deadline of ten days, Cardiff City FC and FC Nantes can request a copy of the grounds of the decision, which can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

[xsnaggle]

All a bit tasteless this and I don't think we've come out covered in glory to be honest. Not one of the club's finest moments.

It was always going to be tasteless once the insurers and money men get involved, but it would be stupid to pay for their advice and then ignore it, you can become liable for all kinds of stuff.
dunno why igovernor thinks its only a first payment. Where has that piece of 'news' come from?

[Igovernor]

It was always going to be tasteless once the insurers and money men get involved, but it would be stupid to pay for their advice and then ignore it, you can become liable for all kinds of stuff.
dunno why igovernor thinks its only a first payment. Where has that piece of 'news' come from?

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49825166

[Igovernor]

Sky Sports

Cardiff City FC

Statement

Cardiff City Want FIFA to clarify their exact meaning of the FIFA statement before they decide what to do next.

[jon1959]

Sky Sports

Cardiff City FC

Statement

Cardiff City Want FIFA to clarify their exact meaning of the FIFA statement before they decide what to do next.

Good - I hope someone clarifies the statement.

Does it mean the full £15m is due to Nantes in 3 instalments, or just the first instalment? Most of the 'news stories' refer only to the initial £5.3m (6m Euros) but surely it must be all or nothing - not just a part payment. Either the transfer was complete or it wasn't?

In either case what was the FIFA judgement based on - and what is their response to the submissions made by both clubs?

Will the insurers (for whichever club is liable) be led by a FIFA committee judgement - or will it have to go back around the lawyers?

It is all ugly and disrespectful - but unavoidable I expect. As others have said, I hope whatever the outcome between Cardiff and Nantes, Sala's family and home townl club are looked after.