(Reuters) - Cardiff City will appeal against FIFA's ruling that they must pay the first instalment of 6 million euros ($6.54 million) to Nantes for the transfer of Emiliano Sala, the Welsh club said on Wednesday.
After signing for Cardiff in January, Sala was travelling there from the French club when his plane crashed in the English Channel.
Cardiff said it was "extremely disappointed" with the verdict of the governing body's Players' Status Committee, who on Monday ordered the club to pay the first instalment of the 15-million-pound fee.
"Following FIFA's update on their announcement regarding the transfer of Emiliano Sala, Cardiff City Football Club will be launching an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport," the club said in a statement.
"... There remains clear evidence that the transfer agreement was never completed in accordance with multiple contractual requirements which were requested by Nantes, thereby rendering it null and void.
"We shall be appealing to CAS in order to seek a decision which considers all of the relevant contractual information and provides clarity on the full legal situation between our two clubs."
Cardiff signed Sala while they were in the Premier League and have since relegated to the second tier.
The body of the 28-year-old Argentine striker was recovered nearly three weeks later after an underwater search found the wreckage. Pilot David Ibbotson remains missing.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
