Emiliano Sala and Valentin Vada at the beach.

-

Valentin Vada

  • Two years ago Emiliano Sala, FC Nantes player, disappeared in a plane crash.

  • Valentin Vada, his childhood friend and former teammate at the Girondins de Bordeaux, confides for the first time on his tragic disappearance.

  • If it is still difficult for him to express himself, he pays tribute to his friend: “He was a great player, a warrior, a humble man who gave everything for his family.

    "

Over the years, he had become a full member of the Vada family.

A “big brother” for Valentin and a “son” for Marcelo and Graciela.

Emiliano Sala had his place there.

Whether in Santa Fe in Argentina as a child, or in Bordeaux in France as a teenager.

Before becoming a teammate under the same jersey, that of the Girondins, Emiliano Sala and Valentin Vada did all their classes together from an early age at 6-7 years old at Proyecto Crecer (partner club of the Navy and White) then in the center training of the Bordeaux club.

Between them, it was a friendship of almost 20 years before the first one tragically died out two years ago.

For the first time, the former Girondins midfielder, now in Tenerife in Spanish D2, confides in

20 Minutes

on the loss of his childhood friend.

Why are you agreeing to speak today?

I never talked to anyone about his disappearance because it hurts me so much.

I prefer to digest everything on my own, even if it's difficult.

Many people wanted to talk to me at the time of his disappearance or ask me for contacts because they knew my relationship with him but I never wanted to talk about it until today.

Already, Emi was not too fond of talking with the media like me.

We are country people and we don't like to make a lot of noise or talk to say nothing.

For my family and his family, it is still very difficult to publicly discuss his death.

You still think about it very often ...

It's normal to think about it so much because for me, he was a big brother.

His family, his friends and everyone who was close to him think about it very often.

Since the day he disappeared, I think of him every day.

Exactly, do you remember this January 22, 2019?

I remember that I woke up normally, I was going to training, it was morning and there was Sergi Palencia (a Spanish teammate) in the locker room… I undress and I take my things to go to the room.

There, Sergi calls me and says: "Did you see what happened with Emiliano?"

I immediately take my phone and see all the information.

I go straight to Emi's WhatsApp and see that it hasn't logged in for a long time, send messages and nothing, no response.

I thought to myself, there is something.

I called my daddy and his brother, we didn't want to believe it.

Then I go out to practice but I couldn't.

My head was not there.

After ten minutes, Ricardo [the Girondins coach at the time] told me: "Come in, there is no problem, Valé [his nickname]".

I picked up my things, went home and started making contacts.

We were all desperate, we didn't believe it but we didn't know what to do.

There was nothing to be done at the time.

Had you spoken to him just before?

Yeah, yeah, I remember it was Friday night.

We were at the restaurant with Théo [Pellenard, another Girondins player] and I received a call from Emi.

He tells me about his transfer, how it is going in his new club [Cardiff] and that he was going to make a last round trip to Nantes [to say goodbye].

But I was at the restaurant so we didn't talk much and he just told me that he would call me back to tell me everything once I settled down in Cardiff.

This was our last discussion.

Emiliano Sala and Valentin Vada in Bordeaux.

- Valentin Vada

Did you quickly realize what was going on?

At first it was difficult because I got up every morning and didn't want to believe it.

I said to myself: “No, it's not true, it's not possible!

And sometimes today, two years after the accident, it still happens to me.

It's very complicated not to think about it and especially to accept it.

For me, it's very hard to accept his disappearance.

How can I try to move forward a bit?

I talk a lot with his very close friends, who are also my friends.

With the family, it's more my parents who talk.

Me, I exchange just a little with his brother.

Our two families were very close and Emi for my parents, he was a son.

In France, we lived together almost every day.

We did everything together.

He was my big brother.

Her family, you talk about it, how is she?

It's very difficult.

Losing a son for a mother is horrible.

Besides, Emi was one of the pillars of her family, it was very hard at the time.

Since then, there has also been the death of her dad.

Today, it is still very painful for his mother, his sister and his brother.

And that will be the case all their life.

For me, also elsewhere.

Emiliano Sala and Valentin Vada also faced each other in the match between Nantes and Bordeaux.

- Valentin Vada

Are you playing with anything in particular in his memory?

No, I don't have anything special on me but I have all of his shirts.

Orleans, Niort, Nantes, Bordeaux… They are all in my cupboard.

I will supervise them in my house the day I return to Argentina for good.

Unfortunately, I haven't been back to my country for a year and a half with the coronavirus, I haven't even been able to go to his grave yet.

What image do you keep of him?

From a big brother!

We have experienced so much together, difficult times, happy moments for both of us.

His highlights were also mine.

Everything that happened to her made me happy.

And the reverse was also true.

Today, I keep our friendship to myself.

I will never forget all those moments with him, in Argentina and in France and I thank God for allowing me to meet Emi in my life.

Do people often talk to you about him?

Sometimes here in Spain, when we talk about it on the news and hear one of my teammates mention his name, I try to take the time to explain to him who he is.

But it's not always easy because it pisses me off that he's no longer there.

How have you been dealing with all the tributes over the past two years?

Everything that is done in memory of Emi, that pleases me.

It also makes her family happy because Emi is someone who has given everything in her life.

But I wish some of this had happened before [his demise].

I think he deserved all these tributes before he left.

He was finally making a name for himself and receiving compliments as he progressed.

His talent was starting to be recognized.

He was a great player, a warrior, a humble man who gave everything for his family, for his relatives and for football.

He really didn't deserve this ending.

Our file on Emiliano Sala

Today, whether it is you or his family, are you following the investigation closely?

Yes, we always watch what happens and says.

But me personally, I try not to read too much about him because it hurts me, it hurts me.

Frankly, it's hard.

We would have preferred it to have happened otherwise (

sigh

).

After that I know that he would have liked us to continue our lives and that's what we try to do with his family and loved ones.

Sport

Death of Emiliano Sala: David Henderson, the man who was to be in command of the plane, will be tried in October 2021

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How "20 Minutes" covered the disappearance of Emiliano Sala

  • Aquitaine

  • Bordeaux

  • Sport

  • Nantes

  • Girondins of Bordeaux

  • FC Nantes

  • Interview

  • Plane crash

  • Emiliano Sala

  • League 1

  • Soccer