BSP-07 ‘We can now mourn’: footballer Sala’s family after body

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ZCZC

BSP-07

BRITAIN-FRANCE-FBL-SALA

‘We can now mourn’: footballer Sala’s family after body

PARIS, Feb 8, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The family of Cardiff City footballer
Emiliano Sala said Friday they could now begin mourning after his body was
formally identified following its recovery from a crashed plane in the
Channel.

“We can now begin to mourn our son and our brother,” the Argentinian
player’s family said in a statement, also thanking everyone involved in the
effort to locate the submerged wreckage off Guernsey.

“We would like to thank you for all of your signs of affection and support
in the most painful time of our life,” the family said.

“To see everyone doing everything possible to join us in the search has
been a precious help to us.”

The family said their thoughts were also with the family of the 59-year-
old pilot of the plane, David Ibbotson, whose body has not yet been found,
saying “we hope the authorities do everything possible to find him”.

Sala had returned to France to say goodbye to his teammates at Ligue 1
club Nantes and was flying to Wales on January 21 to join up with his new
club following his 17-million-euro ($19.3 million) transfer.

The plane, a Piper PA-46 Malibu, vanished from radar around 20 kilometres
(12 miles) north of Guernsey.

BSS/AFP/BZC/1855HRS