A tribute to Emiliano Sala was erected outside Nantes' home stadium. CREDIT:
Investigators have been able to identify the wreckage of the plane that left Cardinal City's Emiliano Sala and disappeared over Channel Islands on January 21.The wreckage was found at the bottom of the Channel, according to Sky News.The 28-year-old striker took the plane from Nantes, west of France, to Cardiff, led by his special pilot, David Ebutson, to join his new team, Cardiff City.
"As agreed with the AAIB they moved the GEO OCEAN III over the position we provided them to visually identify the plane by ROV [remotely operated underwater vehicle]. #EmilianoSala."
"The families of Emiliano Sala and David Ibbotson have been notified by Police. The AAIB will be making a statement tomorrow. Tonight our sole thoughts are with the families and friends of Emiliano and David."
Speaking to Sky News, Mearns said: "This is about the best result we could have hoped for the families.
"But tonight they have heard devastating news and in respect of the families I won't comment any further about what has happened."
The main search for the plane was called off after three days, but Sala's family launched a fund-raising initiative that led to Mearns bringing his expertise to the mission.
Mearns did a search in conjunction with Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which also deployed a vessel for a search of the seabed on Sunday.
Cardiff signed the 28-year-old Sala from Nantes for a club-record fee, reported to be £15 million pounds ($27 million), on January 19. The striker left Cardiff after signing his deal and returned to Nantes to collect his belongings and say goodbye to teammates and staff of the French topflight club. He never made it back to Cardiff.
A view of the match day program with an image of Emiliano Sala on the cover, ahead of the English Premier League match between Cardiff and Bournemouth on Saturday.
At its first home game since the plane disappeared, Cardiff paid tribute to Sala before a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
There was a series of tributes before kick-off, with Sala's photograph appearing on the front cover of the matchday program and the two captains laying floral tributes on the halfway line.
Sala's name, in the colours of his native Argentina, was also spelt out behind one of the goals as supporters held cards aloft.
Cardiff's players, who sported daffodils embroidered on their shirts in Sala's honour, celebrated a goal by racing to the home dugout and holding up a blue shirt bearing Sala's photograph.
Program notes, penned by Cardiff owner Vincent Tan and the rest of the Bluebirds' board, said events shook "Cardiff City to its very core" and they were now playing for Sala and Ibbotson.
Source: Agencies
