Hundreds of mourners attend funeral of Emiliano Sala

Hundreds of mourners attend funeral of Emiliano Sala

The 28-year-old’s body was repatriated on Friday before it was returned to Progreso, about 350 miles from Buenos Aires, for a public vigil.

Mr Sala died when the plane taking him to Cardiff crashed into Channel Island waters on the evening of 21 January.

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock the club's chief executive Ken Choo  Picture: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

The body of the plane’s pilot, David Ibbotson, has not been found.

Mr Warnock and Cardiff FC’s chief executive Ken Choo joined locals from the small town for a service in the gymnasium of Mr Sala’s boyhood club, San Martin de Progreso.

Sala’s mother and father were also present at the vigil.

His body was cremated at a private service in the city of Santa Fe on Saturday afternoon.

Before the funeral, San Martin de Progreso posted a tribute to Facebook which said: ‘We are waiting for you… like the first day you left but this time to stay with us forever. You went and you are an example for everyone.’

A fundraising campaign to restart the search for Mr Ibbotson (59) has raised more than £240,000.

The plane remains on the seabed off the coast of Alderney.

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