Nantes Game Stopped In 9th Minute To Pay Tribute To Emiliano Sala

There were hugely emotional scenes during Nantes' game against Saint Etienne, with the match stopped in the ninth minute in tribute to Emiliano Sala.

It was Nantes' first home game since the Argentine went missing and his former teammates all wore his number on the back of their shirts to remember him.

A huge banner of the 28-year old was also placed in the centre-circle and there was a stunning mosaic created by the home fans.

And then, in a truly incredible moment, the referee blew his whistle and brought the game to a halt as soon as the game entered minute number nine - the squad number Sala wore for Nantes.

The players and staff, along with the fans in the stands then erupted into a wonderful applause. A real classy gesture from the referee.

Nantes manager Vahid Halilhodzic was visibly upset and struggled to hold back tears as he watched on from the bench.

Last night, Arsenal showed their class for the visit of Cardiff as they included Sala's name on the teamsheet. Instead of a shirt number, however, the Gunners included a daffodil next to his name.

He said: "Air Accidents Investigation Branch says French counterparts found part of a seat cushion on beach nr Surtainville on the Cotentin Peninsula.

"A 2nd cushion was found in the same area and they have concluded it's 'likely' they are from missing aircraft that carried Emiliano Sala."

Striker Sala had only just signed for the Bluebirds for £15 million on Saturday (January 19) and was travelling from Nantes - where his previous club is based - to meet up with his new teammates in Wales.

However, the small plane that he was travelling on disappeared from radar visibility near to the Channel Islands at about 8.30pm on Monday, 21 January, and has not been seen since.

Rescue teams had been out searching for the lost plane, however Guernsey Police confirmed last week they are 'no longer actively searching' for the plane.