May 12 – French side Nice have condemned a section of their own supporters for a sickening chant mocking the late Emiliano Sala.
Sala, 28, died tragically when the light aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed in the English Channel in January 2019 just as he was about to join Cardiff City from Nantes.
During Nice’s 4-2 victory over St Etienne on Wednesday, a section of supporters sang a distasteful chant about Sala, translating as “He’s an Argentine who can’t swim well, Emiliano under the water.”
The disgusting refrain, a twist on a song by Bordeaux and Nantes fans that paid tribute to Sala, came a few days after Nice were beaten in the French cup final by Nantes, Sala’s former club.
Nice strongly condemned their fans, calling the chant “unthinkable and despicable” while manager Christophe Galtier slammed the minority of supporters in question.
“I have no words to describe what I heard,” he said. “ One of the first reactions in the dressing room was not chanting or cries of joy, or relief. It was to speak about what the players had heard. In the name of my dressing room, of my technical and medical staff, from the players, we would like to offer our apologies to Emiliano Sala’s family and to FC Nantes.”
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