Neil Warnock: Cardiff players were 'drained' after Emiliano Sala death
- Published
Cardiff City paid tribute to Emiliano Sala before their game against Bournemouth on 2 February 2019
Ex-Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock said the death of Emiliano Sala had a profound effect on the team's players.
Sala was flying to Cardiff from Nantes when the plane he was in crashed into the English Channel on 21 January 2019.
The 28-year-old never met his prospective Cardiff team-mates but Warnock said the loss of the striker affected everyone at the club.
"I think it shocked the players a lot more than people thought behind the scenes," Warnock said.
"I could see quite a lot of the players how drained they were and how emotional they were.
"But it was difficult for me and it did bring home how important the family is.
"Football is important and we all want to win at football but I don't think there's anything more important than your family.
"I never envisaged or ever experienced anything quite like it in my whole life, let alone just in my football career."
Warnock, who has since left the Bluebirds, previously described events as his "most difficult week in football" and considered his Cardiff future.
One year on since the tragedy, Warnock said: "I probably had just one evening where I thought 'is it time to go?' But then I thought 'well who else is going to lead the football club?'
"It was one of those where I had to give myself a clip across the face really and say get on with it now Neil.
"It was a really big test for me but I did think I owed it to the club to lead."
Cardiff and Sala's former club Nantes remain in dispute over the transfer fee for the Argentine.
The Welsh club had refused to pay any of the fee, claiming the agreement was not legally binding so Sala was not officially their player when he died.
But in September, world governing body Fifa ruled the club should pay the first instalment of £5.3m (6m euros) to Nantes.
Cardiff have challenged the ruling and a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing in Lausanne is expected in the spring, with a judgement due to follow in June.
"I think you have to know the facts before you make comments on things like that and I don't know any of the facts," Warnock said.
"So I would leave it to the club who know all the facts behind the scenes to decide what they want to do."