FC Nantes v. Cardiff City FC: The Tragic Case of Emiliano Sala

FIFA PSC, 25 September 2019, Player Emiliano Raul Sala (FC Nantes, France v. Cardiff City FC, Wales)

Date of the decision: 2019-09-25

The dispute between Cardiff City FC (Cardiff) and FC Nantes (Nantes - and collectively with Cardiff, the Parties) was somewhat of an unchartered territory for the FIFA Players’ Status Committee (PSC). In essence, the case involved the sensitive and unprecedented (and hopefully never to be repeated) issue of the validity of a transfer agreement between two parties, following the death of the player, in this case, the Argentine, Emiliano Sala (the Player).

Introduction

On 25 September 2019, the PSC passed its decision in favour of Nantes, ordering Cardiff to pay EUR 6 million plus interest (PSC Decision).[1] This amount represented the first instalment of the transfer fee which was payable by Cardiff, “within five days of the player registering with Cardiff City FC” under a transfer agreement between the Parties dated 19 January 2019 (Transfer Agreement).

The operative part of the PSC Decision was made public in early October 2019, with the fully reasoned, grounded version published by FIFA in early November 2019.

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