Cardiff City have been hit with a transfer embargo after they failed to pay the first installment of Emiliano Sala’s transfer fee.
The striker tragically died in a plane crash on his way to Cardiff after finalizing his move to the Welsh club. And shortly after his death, things turned sour between Cardiff and Nantes after the Bluebirds refused to pay the first installment of their fee.
FIFA became involved and Cardiff lost their appeal and was ordered by FIFA to make the initial payment of £5.3 million, but the club continues to contest the ruling.
The club have now confirmed that they have received a transfer embargo and will not be able to make new transfers.
However, club president Mehmet Dalman is “sure” the embargo will be lifted before the next transfer window. He told BBC Radio Wales Sport:
“I wish I had the power to remove the shadow of this situation from the club.
“The people of this club want this to be resolved.
“People should not forget that a 28-year-old man died when there was no need for that accident to happen.
“There is a human side to this story, it’s not just financial.”
According to The Sun, the club is currently in talks with FIFA and the EFL to find a compromise while they await the decision of the Swiss Federal Court on their ‘Court of Arbitration for Sport Appeal’. The verdict is expected in early 2023.
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added:
“There are many legal discussions underway and will continue, but we have received our first bill from Nantes.
“We have not paid it and at this time we do not intend to pay it, until certain negotiations are completed.
“This puts the EFL in a position where they automatically put us under a transfer embargo, but until January that doesn’t make sense anyway.
“Until January I am sure there will be other developments. We are working hard to ensure that we can do business at that time.
“Should fans worry that we won’t be able to buy anyone in January? Yes and no.
“We would certainly like to add more players, the manager [Mark Hudson] you are willing to do that and we have told you to plan accordingly because we believe this is temporary, not permanent.
“But of course it is unpredictable.
“I don’t know Mark very well, but he is a professional, he understood our position.
“He didn’t necessarily like it. But we have told her that she set her goals.”
