Emiliano Sala’s Body Arrives Home In Argentina For Funeral

The coffin of footballer Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash between Nantes and Cardiff, arrived in Argentina on Friday ahead of his funeral in his hometown of Progreso.

The British Airways flight carrying the body landed shortly after 9:00 am (1200 GMT) at Buenos Aires airport.

A van waited to drive it for funeral ceremonies in northeastern Santa Fe, the capital of Santa Fe province before it is returned to the family for final rites on Saturday, AFP writes.

“This is a day of historic grief for Progreso. We could never have imagined this, we are all in a state of shock,” Daniel Ribero, president of the San Martin de Progreso club, where Sala played for 10 years.

Sala’s body was recovered from the plane wreckage in the English Channel last week.

The 28-year-old was flying to his new team, Cardiff City, from his old French club Nantes when his plane went missing on January 21.

An inquest in England heard on Monday said the striker died of “head and trunk injuries” sustained from the crash.

He was travelling in a light aircraft that disappeared near the British island of Guernsey.

The wreckage was found on the seabed but 59-year-old pilot David Ibbotson remains missing.

Sala’s former team gave him a rousing send-off on Sunday, playing a French league match in a special all-black kit for the occasion, with each player wearing the Argentine’s name on the back of their jersey rather than their own.

He was also honoured in England with a one minute silence during the last round of Premier League games.