International Football
SALA PLANE BROKE UP FLYING TOO FAST AFTER PILOT LOST CONTROL
Footballer Emiliano Sala was killed when the unlicensed pilot of his plane lost control and flew too fast as he tried to avoid bad weather, British aviation investigators said on Friday (March 13).
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in its final report into the Jan 21, 2019 crash that the single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft suffered an in-flight break-up and plunged in to the water, north of Guernsey, upside down.
The AAIB also confirmed that pilot David Ibbotson, 59, was unlicensed to fly that particular aircraft and at night, when the tragedy occurred.
He was also operating an unlicensed commercial flight and being paid an unspecified amount for the flight, which was illegal.
Investigators said it was likely that he was affected by carbon monoxide.
An interim report also found that Sala had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning before the plane crashed and was likely unconscious when it hit the water.
Geraint Herbert, senior inspector of air accidents at AAIB, said the plane was flying erratically in its last moments as the pilot tried to avoid bad weather.
“During this accident the pilot lost control of the aircraft during a turn, which we believe he was making to avoid poor weather,” Herbert told AFP.
“After that the aircraft broke up in flight because it was manoeuvring at a speed well in excess of its maximum manoeuvring speed.”
‘NOT SURVIVABLE’
The plane was travelling at an estimated 435kmh when it hit the water, said the AAIB.
Investigators said the impact was “not survivable”.
Although there was no single cause for the accident, said investigators, the tragedy has thrown a spotlight on lax regulation.
The 115-page report highlighted concerns over the growing use of unlicensed commercial flights, such as the one used to transport Sala, by the “sporting world”.
The AAIB also recommended that carbon monoxide monitors be fitted as standard on all planes.
The plane, built in 1984, did not have such a monitor and it is believed that the poisoning was caused by a faulty cabin heater.
Herbert said two main factors contributed to the crash.
“One was that the pilot was not experienced and qualified to fly the flight, but the other one of course was that he was probably suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning,” he said.
“We have made a recommendation to the regulators to require the carriage of carbon monoxide detectors on aircraft such as this.”
ILLEGAL CHARTER FLIGHTS
Sala had signed for Cardiff in a £15 million deal completed just a few days before the crash.
The Argentinian was returning to Cardiff to take part in his first training session after saying goodbye to his teammates in northwest France.
In a statement, Cardiff City said it “welcomed” the report which “raises a number of new questions which we hope will be addressed during the inquest recommencing next week”.
That inquest is due to start next Monday in Bournemouth, southern England.
The European Business Aviation Association said the tragedy and report had highlighted “the risks of illegal charter flights”.
Reports in the British press have said former football agent Willie McKay said he paid for the fatal flight, but did not choose the pilot or the plane.
Sala’s body was found several days after the crash, attached to wreckage from the plane, while Ibbotson’s body was never found.
-AFP
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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