The family of the footballer Emiliano Sala have launched legal action against Cardiff City and his former club, FC Nantes, over his death in an air crash two years ago.
Cardiff had signed Sala, 28, from FC Nantes for £15m and the striker was on the way to his new club on 21 January 2019, when the plane crashed.
Lawyers for the family said the high court action had been started in order to “protect their legal rights”.
The footballer’s body was recovered the following month, but the aircraft’s pilot, David Ibbotson, 59, from Crowle, Lincolnshire, has not been found.
David Henderson, who is alleged to have arranged the flight, is due to stand trial in October. He is accused of endangering the safety of an aircraft, as well as attempting to discharge a passenger without valid permission or authorisation.
Details of the high court action emerged before a pre-inquest review into the footballer’s death was due to take place in Bournemouth on Wednesday.
The family’s legal team has listed 13 defendants in their case and are prepared for proceedings to be delayed until after the inquest and the trial of David Henderson have concluded.
Lawyer Daniel Machover, of Hickman & Rose Solicitors, said: “The family of Emiliano Sala are asking the coroner to fix the inquest date when she reviews matters, with a date soon after the trial of David Henderson, which has been fixed for 18 October 2021.
“In the meantime, in order to protect their legal rights and remedies arising from Emiliano’s untimely death, the family have commenced civil proceedings in the high court, but will seek agreement to stay those proceedings pending the outcome of the inquest.
“That makes it all the more important for the inquest date to be fixed, so everyone can plan accordingly.
“Most importantly, the family know that the inquest will provide the answers to the very many questions they have about what went wrong in January 2019 and why Emiliano’s life was cut short.”
News source – The Guardian