Cardiff players are afraid to fly after Sala’s disappearance: Bamba
Some of the Cardiff City players are scared to fly after January signing Emiliano Sala's flight disappeared over the English Channel last week, defender Sol Bamba has said.
Cardiff played their first game since Sala's disappearance yesterday morning (Singapore time), a 2-1 English Premier League defeat by Arsenal, where tributes were paid to the missing Argentine forward and pilot David Ibbotson before kick-off.
Captain Bamba carried daffodils, a symbol of Welsh identity, onto the pitch while Arsenal skipper Mesut Oezil also laid a floral tribute to Sala who is presumed dead.
The plane carrying the 28-year-old disappeared from radar on Jan 21. Investigators searching for the lost plane said yesterday they had found two seat cushions near the French coast that likely belonged to the aircraft.
Bamba said the team were badly affected by the "unusual situation".
"We travel by plane and some of the lads have been thinking 'I don't want to go on it any more'," Bamba told BBC.
"The gaffer and the club have been good in terms of bringing someone in to talk to if we need to. And some of the lads do, they need to get it out."
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock added: "What's gone on this week is unprecedented. I can't explain how it's been.
"You don't really want to get out of bed because everything has been miserable. Nobody could do anything about it. It's been really difficult. We've lost a game, but there are more important things." - REUTERS
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