Nice fans insulted the late Emiliano Sala with a chant

It is obvious that insults are hurled at the opponents in football stadiums. But what the Nice supporters did in Wednesday’s league game against St. Etienne was way over the top. They made fun of the tragically deceased footballer Emiliano Sala.

Sala died in 2019 at the age of 28. The then-Nantes of France player had signed for Cardiff City. He was returning to France to pack his bags and say goodbye to the club.

But the private jet disappeared over the English Channel and its wreckage was found days later. Since then, fans of Nantes and Bordeaux, Sal’s former clubs, have been singing a special chant.

In the 9th minute of each match, according to the number of the jersey the Argentine wore, they start the chant: “He is an Argentine who never gives up, Emiliano Sala.”

But Nice supporters came up with their own lyrics on Wednesday. “It’s the Argentine who can’t swim, Emiliano underwater,” rang through the stadium.

The club immediately distanced itself from the actions of those fans. Coach Christophe Galtier made a similar statement.

“I have no words to describe what we heard. On behalf of the players and the technical and medical staff, we would like to apologise to the Sala family and to Nantes,” Galtier said after the game.

Sources: Twitter, OGC Nice, Ligue 1