Lionel Messi has urged those tasked with overseeing the search for missing soccer star and fellow Argentinian Emiliano Sala not to give up while there is still hope.
In an emotional post on his Instagram story, the Bacelona star offered his support to Sala’s family while urging authorities to keep on looking after the search was abandoned Thursday.
“As long as there’s a chance, a thread of hope, we ask that you please #DontStopLooking for Emiliano. All of my strength and support to his family and friends. #PrayForSala,” he wrote Friday.
Messi’s post comes the day after Sala’s sister, Romina, pleaded with authorities to restart their search for the soccer player after it was abandoned Thursday.
The three-day search was called off after police conceded that any hopes of finding the 28-year-old alive were “extremely remote.”
However Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman has revealed that Emiliano Sala declined the club’s offer to arrange his travel to and from France.
Dalman has been attempting to piece together the timeline of events that led up to Sala’s plane going missing over the English Channel after the newly-signed Cardiff striker had returned to Nantes to bid farewell to his former team-mates.
“We have looked into this quite thoroughly and it is quite evident that Cardiff has the responsibility to offer the player to make arrangements [for travel], which will be commercial flights,”
“That would have meant taking the train from Nantes to Paris, then Paris to Heathrow, then drive down [to Cardiff].
“The player’s reaction to that was that he wanted to make his own arrangements which would be much quicker.”
Sala’s father Horacio speaks to Argentine TV following his son’s disappearance
Dalman also praised the reaction of fans and clubs around the world who have offered their thoughts and prayers since the news broke of the missing plane.
“It has been a couple of difficult days but I have to say, the family of football has been really supportive, not only within Cardiff Football Club but around the world,” added Dalman.