LONDON. — He was born in Argentina, made his name in France but lost his life over the English Channel on his way to play for a Welsh football club. On Thursday, it was confirmed that a body recovered by British investigators from the submerged wreckage of a plane that went down in the Channel was that of footballer Emiliano Sala.
The 28-year-old had agreed to leave Nantes in France for Cardiff in the Premier League for a reported £15 million last month.
“For me it feels special,” the 1.87m-tall Argentine forward had said of his new career.
An imposing physical presence but also adept with his feet, Sala was leaving Ligue 1 having scored 12 goals this season.
That tally also matched his statistics for each of the last two campaigns, and only a certain Lionel Messi has scored more goals this season among Argentine players in the big five European leagues. Despite that, Sala never played for his country and remained little known back in his homeland — an article on the website of popular sports daily Ole last month carried a headline: “Who is Emiliano Sala?”
That is because, like many talented young footballers in Argentina, Sala left for Europe at such a young age. — AFP.



