Cardiff to pay 5.3 Million for Sala

[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?

[Pedro de la Rosa]

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

https://www.theguardian.com/football...-emiliano-sala

Nantes demanded the fee after a few weeks.

[The Lone Gunman]

Nantes demanded the fee after a few weeks.

Indeed they did. But how on earth does Nantes requesting a payment they believed they were legally overdue for a player they had sold to Cardiff equate to them attempting to involve City in 'tit for tat'? To me, it suggests they were attempting to get paid.

Remember, it was Cardiff City who announced to the world that they had signed Sala subject to international clearance, and there's never been any suggestion that the clearance wasn't forthcoming:

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...-is-a-bluebird

Until today, I honestly can't recall reading a single thing in the press from Nantes regarding the Sala business other than their initial statements after he'd gone missing. However, Cardiff have made plenty of noise about it. Indeed, the Chairman was talking to the French press within days.

[The Lone Gunman]

Neither of them relate to the fee, do they?

You think they're unconnected?

[Pedro de la Rosa]

You think they're unconnected?

After the reports come out, do you think the club can say nothing?

[The Lone Gunman]

After the reports come out, do you think the club can say nothing?

Of course they could have said nothing. To me, that would have been the wisest and most dignified thing to do.

What did City gain by releasing the statements they did? What did those statements achieve?

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Of course they could have said nothing. To me, that would have been the wisest and most dignified thing to do.

What did City gain by releasing the statements they did? What did those statements achieve?

Distancing themselves from McKay who was making disparaging comments about the club? The club were getting stick from the broadsheets and McKay who did his TV interview, so I don't think the club could have said nothing. They were reacting to Nantes' demands for payments while his body wasn't found, while McKay was throwing as much mud so his name wouldn't get tarnished.

[goats]

Distancing themselves from McKay who was making disparaging comments about the club? The club were getting stick from the broadsheets and McKay who did his TV interview, so I don't think the club could have said nothing. They were reacting to Nantes' demands for payments while his body wasn't found, while McKay was throwing as much mud so his name wouldn't get tarnished.

Let’s hope McKay ends up where he deserves....it’s a bit of an insight into the murky agent world, not good really. Some really horrible people out there.....

[The Lone Gunman]

Distancing themselves from McKay who was making disparaging comments about the club? The club were getting stick from the broadsheets and McKay who did his TV interview, so I don't think the club could have said nothing. They were reacting to Nantes' demands for payments while his body wasn't found, while McKay was throwing as much mud so his name wouldn't get tarnished.

By releasing official statements in answer to press reports, wasn't the club engaging in the exact kind of tit for tat that you accused Nantes (who actually said nothing publicly as far as I'm aware) of being guilty of?

We'll have to agree to disagree on this issue because I don't believe the club gained anything at all by releasing the statements they did. Indeed, it's looked to me like City have simply been desperately trying to publicly distance themselves from any blame for the Sala situation and point the fingers at others, but I cannot see the benefit of doing that. It's almost like the club has been protesting too much. When all is said and done, CCFC will or will not have to pay the transfer fee based on the legality or otherwise of the player's contract. Statements about the accident or the pilot or agents won't make a scrap of difference in reality, but I appreciate you see this differently and you are, of course, fully entitled to hold such an opinion.

I can't help wondering how you and others would have reacted had a rival club handled this situation in the way that Cardiff have, but given the unique circumstances it's thankfully something we'll never find out.