Emiliano Sala's former club Nantes has premises raided by tax inspectors
Nantes, the French club at the centre of a legal dispute with Cardiff City over the tragic Emiliano Sala transfer, has been raided by tax inspectors.
Officials searched club premises at Nantes on Tuesday morning as a tax evasion investigation was launched by the National Public Prosecutor against the club's president, Waldemar Kita, according to reports in France.
The case is not immediately believed to be related to financial arrangements around Sala, who joined Cardiff City in a £15 million deal just three days before his death in an English Channel plane crash last month.
Relations between Nantes, Cardiff City and the intermediary Willie McKay are becoming increasingly acrimonious. Telegraph Sport disclosed this week how Cardiff are ready to launch a negligence claim against Nantes if an official report finds the pilot of the plane did not have the correct licence. Nantes have sent two legal demands for full payment of the transfer fee.
Meanwhile, a "livid" McKay, who brokered Sala's move to the Premier League club, lashed out at Cardiff's owner, chairman and chief executive, claiming that they were attempting to shift blame for the striker's death in a plane crash on to "an easy target".
The Air Accident Investigations Branch confirmed its interim report into Sala's plane crash would not be ready this week but that a publication date could be confirmed by Friday. Sala, whose body was recovered from plane wreckage two weeks ago, died from "head and trunk injuries". The pilot David Ibbotson is still missing but searches are set to be resumed for his body.
Though contacted by Telegraph Sport, Nantes were not immediately available for comment.
