Soccer-Nantes hit with fine for Sala flare tributes

French club Nantes have been fined a combined 21,000 euros ($23,816) after supporters set off flares during matches as part of a tribute to former striker Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash last month. A single-engine plane carrying Sala from Nantes to his new team Cardiff City crashed on Jan. 21 in the English Channel, before he made his debut for the Premier League side.

Wreckage was found on Feb. 3 following a privately-funded underwater search and Sala's body was recovered three days later while the plane's pilot David Ibbotson is still missing. Ligue 1's disciplinary commission fined https://www.lfp.fr/corporate/article/les-decisions-du-20-fevrier-2019.htm Nantes 16,500 euros after supporters set off flares and threw objects in a league match against St Etienne on Jan. 30, the club's first game after the Argentine went missing.

They were also fined 4,500 euros for a similar tribute by fans in their league game against Nimes earlier this month. ($1 = 0.8818 euros) (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)