The footballer died days after his £15 million transfer to Cardiff City FC, when the single-engine plane carrying him to the Welsh capital crashed into the sea off the west coast of Alderney. Pilot David Ibbotson (59) also died.
Mr Sala’s body was located in the wreckage of the Piper Malibu plane following a search by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and a private group and raised a short time later. The body of Mr Ibbotson has never been found.
In an interview with BBC Wales in April, which was released this week, Mr Sala’s father, Horacio, said all parties involved in the transfer should have put more effort into looking after his son.
Horacio, who died suddenly days after the interview, said: ‘I always expected to find him alive, but when the news said the plane was in the sea, it became impossible.
‘Why was it so hard for them to find something safe? Why couldn’t they?
‘They left him alone, they left him alone like a dog. They abandoned him.’
His mother, Mercedes Taffarel, added: ‘It still hurts so much.
‘I think he’s going to call me on the phone, but no. It’s terrible, a pain that I can’t explain.’
Since the accident, questions have been asked about whether Mr Ibbotson was flying in accordance with his licence, and whether he was suitably qualified and experienced enough to conduct the flight.
On the night, conditions were poor, with a weather front pushing down across the islands, creating a risk of icing on the wings, which can cause a plane to stall.
In an interim report released in February, the AAIB said that the plane made a series of turns, ascents and descents before crashing into the sea. A full report is expected to be published within the next year.
