Cardiff City: Transfer ban for delayed Emiliano Sala payments appeal to begin

Cardiff City fans formed a mosaic spelling out the name of Argentine striker Emiliano Sala before kick-off in the wake of his tragic death

Cardiff City's appeal against a transfer ban for failing to pay the first instalment of Emiliano Sala's £15m fee to Nantes is due to begin.

The appeal hearing is taking place at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

Argentine striker Sala died in a plane crash over the English channel in January 2019 while travelling from France to join his new club.

An inquest into the death of Sala is ongoing at Dorset Coroners' Court.

French club Nantes and Cardiff have been in dispute over fee payments.

Cardiff claimed they were not liable for any of the fee because Sala, 28, was not officially their player when he died and refused to make interim payments as they claimed the deal was not legally binding.

World football's governing body FIFA ruled Cardiff should pay the first instalment of £5.3m to Nantes.

FIFA's players' status committee also imposed a three-window transfer ban on the Championship club if they failed to pay.

After FIFA found against them, Cardiff appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Following a number of delays, the hearing is due to start on Thursday, 3 March and is scheduled to continue into Friday.

Cardiff are also currently facing two other legal battles.

Former owner Sam Hammam is taking court action over a dispute which is understood to centre around the terms and conditions of a presidency role at the club which followed the takeover by Malaysian owner Vincent Tan in 2010.

Meanwhile former Cardiff director Michael Isaacs is suing the club and Tan, claiming his shareholding has been diluted. Hearings in this case have already taken place.