NEIL WARNOCK DESCRIBED the mood around Cardiff City this past week as “sombre”, admitting he had considered calling time on his own career following the disappearance of Emiliano Sala.
The 28-year-old Argentinian striker and pilot David Ibbotson remain missing after the small plane on which they were travelling disappeared from radar around 20km north of Guernsey last Monday night.
Sala had just transferred to the club and was flying to Wales from the French city that evening.
Speaking ahead of Cardiff’s trip to Arsenal on Tuesday night, Warnock gave some insight into the sort of impact it has had on the club.
“I’ve been in football management now 40 years, I think it’s by far the most difficult week in my career, by an absolute mile,” he said.
It’s traumatic. Even now, I can’t get my head around the situation.
“When I look at Romina [Emiliano's sister] and the family, etc. I think it’s such a difficult time.
“I keep looking at my own children and thinking what I would be doing now as well. So it’s very traumatic. My sympathies are with them.
“I think the family have been fantastic. A massive plus to our fans and Nantes fans, I think they’ve been amazing as well. From our point of view here, it’s probably just as well we have a game here tomorrow.”
Last week, Guernsey police announced their search for Sala had ended, claiming the chances of finding the men were “extremely remote”.
More than €335,000 has been raised in an effort to fund a private search for the two men.
“It’s been a sombre mood all week. From a personal point of view, I’ve never experienced anything like it and it’s been amazing the knock on with the players in training as well. So it’s unknown territory.
Things like this just don’t happen, or you don’t think they happen.
“While I’ve had to use all my experience, it’s probably hit me harder than anybody else because I’ve met the lad and talked to him for the last six or eight weeks on numerous occasions and I know how much he was looking forward to this.”
The 70-year-old admitted he had considered calling time on his career as a result of the disappearance.
“I think nearly 24 hours a day in the last week, that would be true to say.
“Even as I sit here now, I think that would be [true]. There are more important things. It takes something like this to make you realise.”
He added: “In this instance, who motivates the motivator?
“I am OK when I’m in the public eye or with the players, it’s when I’m on my own or at home that you think about it.
“It’s probably the lads you don’t expect that needed more help. But I don’t think it does any harm to talk to anyone else.”
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