‘Unthinkable and despicable’ from OGC Nice fans
OGC Nice have condemned their own supporters over a sickening chant about Emiliano Sala during their clash with St Etienne on Wednesday.
As reported by French Football News, during the ninth minute of Nice’s 4-2 victory over St Etienne, a section of home fans sang a distasteful chant about Sala, who died in January 2019 in a plane accident over the English Channel.
The report states that the song allegedly translates to: “He’s an Argentine, who can’t swim well, Emiliano under the water.”
Nice suffered defeat to Sala’s former club in cup final
The chant occurred just days after Nice lost to Nantes – Sala’s former club – in the Coupe de France final. It is thought that the shocking chant is a twist on a song created by Bordeaux and Nantes fans that pays tribute to the striker: “He’s an Argentine, who never gives up, Emiliano Sala, Emiliano Sala.”
Nice have strongly condemned the actions of their own supporters, calling the chant “unthinkable and despicable.”
#OGCNice Statementhttps://t.co/pgLuviqmoK
— OGC Nice 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@ogcnice_eng) May 11, 2022
The club said in a statement: “The club does not recognise at all its values nor those of the red and black family in this unthinkable and despicable provocation from a minority of its supporters.”
Nice boss slams minority of supporters in question
Manager Christophe Galtier also slammed the minority of fans, adding: “I have no words to describe what I heard. 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.”
He told L’Equipe, via French Football News: “You hear a lot of things in stadiums, but these people – and there weren’t just three of them – if they’re not happy, they can come to the training ground and I’ll say the same thing to them.
“We often say that what we see in stadiums is a reflection of society. If that’s what our society is, we are really in the s***! There were also insults towards Mrs [Stéphanie] Frappart.
“She’s not the one that made us lose the final. It’s surreal for me. I have no words. They need to stay at home. You cannot hear that in a stadium. If they’re coming to insult the dead, then they can stay at home!”
The chant was sung in the 9th minute, when Bordeaux and Nantes usually pay tribute to their former striker in their respective games. The original chant goes:
"He's an Argentine, who never gives up, Emiliano Sala, Emiliano Sala."
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) May 11, 2022
Cardiff and Nantes remain in dispute
The Ligue 1 outfit continues to be in dispute with Cardiff after the Bluebirds agreed to his £15million transfer in principle before Sala died while flying from France to South Wales on January 21.
FIFA recently ruled that the Championship club should pay Nantes the full amount. However, Cardiff appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Related links:
- Emiliano Sala case: a timeline of key events
- Emiliano Sala: David Henderson sentenced to 18 months in prison over plane crash deaths
- Organiser of flight which killed Emiliano Sala found guilty over deaths
