Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

French club Nantes pay final tribute to deceased Sala

February 10, 2019 22:17 IST

Nantes FC's Majeed Waris celebrates with teammates after scoring against Nimes on Saturday. The team wore an all black kit with the name of Sala on the back

IMAGE: Nantes FC's Majeed Waris celebrates with teammates after scoring against Nimes on Saturday. The team wore an all black kit with the name of Sala on the back. Photograph: Nantes FC/Twitter

Nantes paid a final tribute to former striker Emiliano Sala in a 4-2 home defeat against Nimes in Ligue 1 on Sunday, three days after the Argentine was confirmed dead in a plane crash.

Sala, 28, had been flying from Nantes in western France to Wales on Jan. 21 to make his debut for Premier League team Cardiff City when the single-engined Piper Malibu aircraft disappeared over the sea.

 

There was a minute of applause before kickoff and a representative from Cardiff City came to La Beaujoire Stadium to hand the French club a shirt from the Welsh side.

La Beaujoire was at capacity after tickets were sold for nine euros ($10.20) in reference to Sala's shirt number.

Fans also chanted a song in memory of Sala in the ninth minute of the game.

Nantes took control of the match in the first half, opening a two-goal lead after a goal by Kalifa Coulibaly and a Majeed Waris penalty. However, Nimes fought back after the break and prevailed thanks to goals by Baptiste Guillaume, Antonin Bobichon, Jordan Ferri and Sada Tihoub.

The result left the Canaries in 15th place with 24 points from 23 matches, five points above the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Monaco thought they were snatching their second win in two league games under returning coach Leonardo Jardim, but Andy Delort's stoppage-time penalty salvaged a 2-2 home draw for Montpellier at home.

Gaetan Laborde had cancelled out Gelson Martins's opener before Radamel Falcao had put the visitors ahead from close range in the 85th minute.

Monaco are 18th on 19 points.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.