The news that everyone had been expecting but dreading arrived on Thursday night.

Emiliano Sala’s body has been recovered from the wreckage of a crashed plane and Dorset Police confirmed the identification.

In a statement, the force said: "The body brought to Portland Port today, Thursday 7 February 2019, has been formally identified by HM Coroner for Dorset as that of professional footballer Emiliano Sala.

"The families of Mr Sala and the pilot David Ibbotson have been updated with this news and will continue to be supported by specially-trained family liaison officers."

At least the family can now have closure.

May he rest in peace.

It seems wrong that thoughts have started turning to the £15 million that Cardiff had agreed to pay Nantes for the striker.

However, even before his body was recovered, Nantes requested that Cardiff pay the first of three £5 million payments for the Argentine.

Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman told French outlet L’Equipe that “we were not going to pay.”

However, sports law expert Gianpaolo Monteneri has told the Press Association, per the Mirror, that Cardiff could be docked points if they fail to honour their agreement.

The Zurich-based lawyer - a former head of FIFA's Players' Status Department between 1997 and 2005 - said: "If certain deadlines, which are mentioned in the transfer contract, are not met then these may trigger consequences for the club in question.

"This can be from an admonishment right up to a withdrawal of league points.

"It is a very tricky situation as we are talking about a human tragedy and an important amount of money.

"It is a human case on one side, and on the other side for Nantes, a financial case and compensation that they are potentially not receiving.

"They have also lost a key player and for them it is a sporting effect as well that needs to be considered."

It’s an incredibly tricky situation and you can understand Nantes wanting their £15 million and you can also understand Cardiff refusing to pay the transfer fee.

As well as Monteneri’s opinion, a report in The Times suggests that Cardiff will be at risk of a transfer ban if they don’t cough up.

The report states: “Cardiff City are facing disciplinary action from Fifa and a possible transfer ban if they fail to pay Nantes the first instalment of the £15 million fee agreed for Emiliano Sala within ten days.

"The French club have threatened Cardiff with legal action after the first part of the transfer fee was withheld for Sala."