Emiliano Sala inquest: Cardiff City official scared to arrange flight, says agent

Emiliano Sala has been returning to Cardiff after saying goodbye to teammates in Nantes when the aircraft crashed into the English Channel

A football agent has claimed he arranged Emiliano Sala's doomed private charter flight because a Cardiff City official was "too scared" to ask senior club management to help.

Willie McKay helped broker transfer of the Argentinian striker from Ligue 1's Nantes to Cardiff City in January 2019.

Sala, 28, died when the Piper Malibu aircraft he was on crashed into the English Channel later that month.

The body of pilot David Ibbotson, 59, has not been found.

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Sala was returning to Wales from France, having gone back to Nantes to say goodbye to his former teammates on flights organised by Mr McKay.

Giving evidence, Mr McKay claimed he stepped in to arrange the return flights because a junior official at Cardiff City was "too scared" to ask senior club management.

Willie McKay was working for his son Mark McKay's firm, as he was barred from acting as an agent in his own right

Mr McKay said Callum Davies, the club's player liaison officer, was "perplexed" at the decision by the club and chief executive Ken Choo not to arrange it.

"Callum knew what the answer was going to be. I just felt that Callum was too scared to ask - that was my feeling," Mr McKay said.

He added that he phoned pilot David Henderson to arrange the outward flight on 18 January and the return three days later. Mr Henderson then hired Mr Ibbotson, as he was unavailable.

"I have used David Henderson for 14 years and he had never let me down. David Henderson was a top, top pilot and flew in the RAF and flew planes all round the world," Mr McKay said.

Flight organiser David Henderson was jailed for 18 months

Mr McKay was barred at the time from acting as an agent in the transfer in his own right because he was an undischarged bankrupt, but was working for his son Mark's firm which was representing Nantes.

The inquest also heard from Mr Davies, who said he "wasn't a responsible enough person" to confirm private flights.

Mr Davies told the court: "Willie McKay asked me about the plans to get him back to Nantes and I said I would have to speak to the club.

"Willie said, 'We can sort', and I said how much would that cost and he said a couple of grand. I wasn't a responsible enough person to confirm any of this in terms of private travel.

"The only option I would consider would be a commercial flight.

"I didn't want to treat Emiliano Sala any different to any other player despite the amount of money we were spending on him."

Mr Davies said he sent details of commercial flights to Mr Sala, but the footballer later confirmed Mr McKay had made the arrangements.

He denied he was "too fearful" to ask Cardiff City to organise the charter flights.

The inquest continues.