Authorities hunt for missing plane carrying Cardiff's new striker Sala

Cardiff City soccer player Emiliano Sala was on board a light aircraft that lost radar contact over the English channel late on Monday

Written by Monika Walker

Published

Updated

Cardiff City soccer player Emiliano Sala was on board a light aircraft that lost radar contact over the English channel late on Monday, French police sources said.

British and French coastguards scoured the seas off Guernsey on Tuesday for the single-engine plane after it went missing on its way from Nantes in western France to the Welsh city of Cardiff.

The 28-year-old Argentine forward joined Premier League strugglers Cardiff City from FC Nantes last week for a club record fee of around 17 million euros ($19.32 million). He had played in France since 2012.

He was travelling back to Wales from Nantes in Brittany after signing with the Welsh club.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane near the Casquets lighthouse around eight miles north-west of Alderney at 8.30pm.

Lifeboats and helicopters were sent out but the search was suspended four hours later as weather conditions worsened.

The plane's disappearance followed severe weather warnings about snow and ice being issued across France.

Search teams resumed work on Tuesday morning.

“At this time no trace of the missing aircraft had been found,” Guernsey police said.

FC Nantes and Cardiff city officials did not immediately comment.

Sala had scored 12 league goals in 19 appearances for Nantes in France’s Ligue 1 this season before switching this week to Cardiff.

Author Profile

Monika Walker is a senior journalist specializing in regional and international politics, offering in-depth analysis on governance, diplomacy, and key global developments. With a degree in International Journalism, she is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through factual reporting. She also covers world news across every genre, providing readers with balanced and timely insights that connect the Caribbean to global conversations.