Emiliano Sala's body found from plane wreckage

The Argentine striker was in a Piper Malibu N264DB accompanied with pilot David Ibbotson.

The body recovered from the wreckage of a plane from the seabed is identified to be of Cardiff City footballer, Emiliano Sala, the Dorset Police have revealed.

Sala was traveling from Nantes to join his new team in Cardiff in a plane accompanied with pilot David Ibbotson, which to everyone's shock went missing from the English Channel on 21st January.

The body was recovered only on Wednesday after the wreckage was found on Sunday morning. The Dorset Police then later identified the body.

In a statement, the police force said, "The body brought to Portland Port today, Thursday 7 February 2019, has been formally identified by HM Coroner for Dorset as that of professional footballer Emiliano Sala. The families of Mr Sala and the pilot David Ibbotson have been updated with this news and will continue to be supported by specially-trained family liaison officers."

The body was spotted first when the wreckage was found and authorities toiled long and hard to retrieve the body two days in difficult circumstances.

The Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) carried the operation with full dignity and kept the men's families update throughout their surveys.

Sala reached Cardiff after his £15m transfer deal to Cardiff City and then he returned to France to say his final goodbye to his teammates at Nantes. The Argentine striker was returning in a Piper Malibu N264DB accompanied with pilot David Ibbotson to Cardiff to kickstart his dream move to the English Premier League.

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David Ibbotson who was from Crowle, North Lincolnshire was at the controls of the plane when it lost connection with the Air Traffic control in 21st January. However, his body is yet to be found.

Cardiff City, issued a statement shortly after identification was confirmed, saying, "We offer our most heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the family of Emiliano. He and David will forever remain in our thoughts."

The whole footballing fraternity is shocked with the horrific news and had sent commiserations to both Sala and Ibbotson's families and near and dear ones to stay strong during this tough phrase.