Neil Warnock and Cardiff squad feeling 'absolutely terrible' as rescue teams give up hope of finding Emiliano Sala alive

Tributes are laid for Emiliano Sala outside Cardiff's stadium on Wednesday
Tributes are laid for Emiliano Sala outside Cardiff's stadium on Wednesday Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Neil Warnock and his Cardiff City players were described as feeling “absolutely terrible” last night as English Channel rescue teams ­admitted there was now no chance of finding Emiliano Sala alive.

The shell-shocked squad returned to training in sombre mood after it emerged how their star signing, 28, had expressed fears for his life in messages sent to close friends about the single-engined Piper Malibu, which is believed to have crashed into the sea.  Sources at Cardiff last night confirmed Sala had made the flight arrangements with the help of Mark McKay, an intermediary in the deal, because the club had only been able to secure him a route back to Cardiff via Paris and Heathrow.

It was also claimed on Wednesday that the pilot, Dave Ibbotson, 60, aborted three attempted take-offs and had joked with friends that he was a “bit rusty” in the days before.

Cardiff officials confirmed Tuesday’s match against Arsenal would go ahead as planned but promised to assist investigations fully. “We will not leave a single stone unturned until we have all the facts,” said the club chairman, Mehmet Dalman.

A senior club source said: "Today was very sombre. The manager and players are feeling absolutely terrible."

The forward, who had been in prolific scoring form for Nantes in recent months, had been a dream signing for Warnock after weeks of negotiations. Late last night McKay confirmed his involvement in helping Sala book the private flight. "I can confirm that when Emiliano made myself and his agent Meissa N'Diaye aware that he wished to travel back to Nantes following his medical and signing on Friday, I began to look into arranging a private flight to take him to Nantes on Saturday morning," McKay said in a statement. 

A vigil was also held at Sala's former club Nantes
A vigil was also held at Sala's former club Nantes Credit: AFP

"That evening, it was confirmed a plane was available to fly Emiliano on Saturday which could remain in Nantes until he was due to return to Cardiff on Tuesday. I have been in contact with officials from Cardiff City FC and the player's agent over these difficult past few days and will continue to do so."

Supporters in the Welsh capital and in Nantes continued to hold vigils and leave flowers as the two clubs were united in grief. Warnock is understood to be keen to pay tribute to Sala at a press conference. Sala and his pilot went missing on Monday night as they returned from north-west France, having signed from Nantes three days earlier. The single-engine plane left the French city at 7.15pm and had been flying at 5,000ft when it contacted Jersey air traffic control ­requesting descent.

Alastair Rosenschein, a former pilot, said the plane may have become iced-up in the Arctic blast sweeping across northern Europe, including the UK and France, adding that it was “already a fairly risky crossing to do in a single engine ­aircraft”.

Reports in France suggested the Piper PA-46 Malibu, a 1984-built plane, made three attempts at take-off from Nantes. Mr Ibbotson, the pilot, had posted on Facebook about being “a bit rusty with the ILS (Instrument Landing System)”. He tagged himself at Nantes Airport on Saturday before replying to comments about the flight on Sunday. The pilot wrote: “Was not to [sic] bad when I got there but I’m a bit rusty with the ILS, in France now.”

Shortly before take-off, Sala sent a WhatsApp voice message to family saying he was “so scared”. “I’m on a plane that looks like it’s going to fall apart,” he said.

After a second full day of searches, rescuers suggested there was “no hope” of finding the missing pair. John Fitzgerald, Chief officer of Channel Islands Air Search, said “even the most fit person” would only last a few hours in the water.

The plane lost contact while at 2,300ft and disappeared off radar near the Casquets lighthouse, infamous among mariners as the site of shipwrecks, eight miles north-west of Alderney. Mr Fitzgerald said: “Sadly, I really don’t think, personally, there is any hope. At this time of year the conditions out there are pretty horrendous if you are actually in the water.”

The aircraft is registered in the United States, through a company based in Norfolk, Southern Aircraft Consultancy. It charges owners around £500 per year to register an aircraft with the Federal Aviation Authority. Guernsey police announced the search was being suspended shortly after 5pm on Wednesday.

“After an intensive search using multiple aircraft and one lifeboat over the last nine hours, we have found no trace of the missing plane,” the force said in a statement.

A decision about whether to ­recommence the search will be taken early on Thursday.

License this content