PARIS: The father of Emiliano Sala, Horacio, has died at the age of 58 following a heart attack, the mayor of the village where he lived said on Friday.
His sudden passing comes just three months after his son, Argentine striker Emiliano, was killed when the aircraft he was traveling in came down in the English Channel.
“Horacio’s wife called me at five o’clock in the morning. The doctors were already there, he never manged to get over the death of Emi,” Progreso mayor Julio Mueller said.
Emiliano, 28, was on his way to Cardiff City after the Premier League side had signed him for a club record £15million ($19.7million) from Nantes.
The pilot, David Ibbotson, also died in the January 21 tragedy.
![]()
Emiliano Sala’s father Horacio dies aged 58
Emiliano Sala’s father Horacio dies aged 58
- Horacio Sala’s sudden passing comes just three months after his son, Argentine striker Emiliano, was killed when the aircraft he was traveling in came down in the English Channel
- Emiliano, 28, was on his way to Cardiff City after the Premier League side had signed him for a club record £15million from Nantes
At least three dead as migrant boat capsizes off Greek island
- An accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat
- The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats
ATHENS: The bodies of three migrants were picked up in waters off the Greek island of Crete during a rescue effort involving a commercial ship, authorities said Friday.
Twenty migrants were rescued by the commercial vessel which was directed to the area on the orders of the Greek Search and Rescue Center.
According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, an accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat. As the passengers tried to climb up ladders into the vessel a sudden movement caused the small boat to capsize.
The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats, an aircraft, and two ships from the European border agency Frontex, a spokesperson for the Greek coast guard told AFP.
According to ERT, survivors said about 50 people were aboard the wooden boat.
A second boat carrying around forty migrants was spotted in the area, triggering another rescue operation.
For over a year, migrants have been attempting the perilous crossing from Libya to Crete, the gateway to the European Union.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in the EU arrived in Crete in 2025.
Faced with the surge in arrivals, the conservative Greek government suspended the processing of asylum applications for three months last summer, particularly for those arriving from Libya.
UNHCR says 107 people died or went missing in Greek waters in 2025.
Latest updates
Recommended
© 2026 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.