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Emiliano SalaArgentine footballer, forward for Cardiff City
Date of Birth: 31.10.1990
Country:  Argentina |
Content:
- Emiliano Sala: The Life and Legacy of an Argentine Striker
- Early Football Career
- Bordeaux and European Journey
- Return to Bordeaux and Ligue 1 Success
- Goalscoring Prowess at Nantes
- Move to Cardiff City and Disappearance
- Search and Discovery
Emiliano Sala: The Life and Legacy of an Argentine Striker
Early Life and ChildhoodEmiliano Sala was born on October 31, 1990, in Cululú, Santa Fe Province, Argentina, to Horacio and Mercedes. His father drove trucks while the family resided in Progreso. Sala had a brother, Dario, and a sister, Romina.
Early Football Career
Sala began playing football at San Martín de Progreso, where he remained until the age of 15. He then moved to San Francisco, Córdoba, where he played for the football academy associated with Mallorca and Bordeaux.
Bordeaux and European Journey
Sala was recruited by Bordeaux, where he lived in the boarding house with youth team coach Marcelo Vada and his son, Valentín Vada, who was Sala's teammate. He made his professional debut for Bordeaux in the 2011-12 Coupe de France against Lyon.
Failing to break into the Bordeaux first team, Sala sought experience elsewhere, joining Orléans in France's Championnat National. He impressed there, scoring 19 goals in 37 matches. In the 2012-13 season, he moved to Niort, where he scored 11 goals in his last 12 games.
Return to Bordeaux and Ligue 1 Success
Sala rejoined Bordeaux in the 2014-15 season and scored his first Ligue 1 goal against Monaco. However, he struggled for playing time and was loaned to Caen as a replacement for Mathieu Duhamel.
At Caen, Sala found success, scoring five goals in a brief spell. Upon his return to Bordeaux, he joined Nantes in July 2015 on a five-year deal.
Goalscoring Prowess at Nantes
Sala became Nantes' top goalscorer in the 2016-17 season and repeated the feat in the 2017-18 season. In October 2018, he scored a hat-trick against Toulouse, making him the first player to score three goals in a Ligue 1 match since Mamadou Diallo.
Move to Cardiff City and Disappearance
On January 19, 2019, Sala joined Cardiff City in the English Premier League for a reported fee of £15 million. On January 21, 2019, he boarded a Piper PA-46 private jet from Nantes to Cardiff, along with pilot David Ibbotson. The plane disappeared over the English Channel near the Channel Islands.
Search and Discovery
An official search operation was called off after four days, but Sala's family, friends, and fans raised funds to continue the search, enlisting the help of renowned oceanographer David Mearns. Their efforts paid off on February 4, when wreckage of the plane was located underwater near Guernsey. The families of both Sala and Ibbotson were informed of the discovery.
The body of Sala was later identified in the wreckage, while the body of Ibbotson was never found.
