Kylian Mbappe Mourns Argentina Star, Who Died in a Plane Crash, on His 5th Death Anniversary

Some days are hard to forget, casting shadows over even triumphant times. Kylian Mbappe also finds himself in a similar situation, immersed in a somber reflection. Instead of celebrating the brace he scored just hours ago during Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-4 victory in the French Cup against US Orleans, he is grieving remembering an Argentine star on his 5th death anniversary, who had tragically bid farewell to the world in a fatal plane crash. Emiliano Sala is the name that may trigger memories for many.

For those who’ve forgotten or are unaware, he lost his life in a plane crash in 2019. The flight was taking him via the English Channel to unite him with his new club, Cardiff City after his transfer from the Nantes to the Premier League club was agreed upon for $19.3 million in 2019. As today marked the 5th death anniversary of Sala, Kylian Mbappe took time out to express himself. 

The PSG icon took to Instagram and posted a picture of him having a handshake when he met Sala on the pitch. While greeting him, Kylian Mbappe had a big smile on his face. He changed the color grade of the photo to black and white and wrote a caption that read, “5 ans”, translating to, “5 years” along with a praying hand and a white dove emoticon. Indeed, a heartwarming gesture from the 25-year-old. As we remember Sala today, let’s roll back the calendar and figure out what exactly happened. Interestingly, this isn’t Mbappe’s first gesture toward the ex-Nantes star.

Shockingly, reports stated that the pilot, David Ibbotson, had been notified about the plane’s unreliability. Additionally, Sala had sent a voice message to his teammate, Nicolas Pallois, who had taken him to the airport, expressing concerns that the aircraft was deteriorating. Sadly, the unimaginable occurred as the plane disappeared. 

Kylian Mbappe’s big heart to help the Emiliano Sala case 

In 2019, Mbappe showed his generosity towards the late Argentinian striker and his family. The Frenchman contributed about $34,000 to a crowdfunding initiative aimed at funding a private search mission to locate Sala. Additionally, Mbappe’s teammate at the time, Adrien Rabiot, and Marseille’s Dimitri Payet, along with various other renowned players from Europe, also made substantial donations to support the campaign.

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Notably, the body was found in the damaged plane on February 4, and on February 6, police managed to remove it and verify Emiliano Sala’s identity. On February 16, 2019, the player was buried in Progreso. According to reports, Sala had already suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning when the plane crashed fatally.

Rest in Peace Emiliano Sala, the soccer world will never forget you. 

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