The father of Premier League footballer Emiliano Sala, who was killed in a plane crash earlier this year, has died three months after his son.
Horacio Sala, 58, suffered a heart attack on Friday, his friend and president of his local club confirmed.
Daniel Ribero, from San Martin de Progreso, told C5N TV channel that Mr Sala had passed away before doctors arrived at his home in Progreso.
Emiliano Sala’s plane crashed en route to Cardiff after leaving from France.
The Argentine footballer was on his way to joining his new club Cardiff City from French club Nantes in a club record £15m deal when the crash happened over the English Channel.
Progreso mayor Julio Muller led the tributes to Mr Sala, telling La Red radio station: “Horacio could not overcome Emi, we thought that after the discovery he would be able to close that circle.”
In a statement, Cardiff City said the club offered its “deepest condolences” to Mr Sala’s friends and family.
“They are very much in the thoughts of us all at this difficult time,” a spokesman said.
The Piper Malibu N264DB plane carrying Sala and pilot David Ibbotson went missing over waters near the Channel Islands on 21 January and it took rescuers two weeks to find the wreckage.
The football star’s body was recovered on 8 February after a private rescue team took over the search for the missing plane.
The father-of-three, a long-distance lorry driver, spoke to the BBC two weeks ago and pleaded “that justice be done” for his son.
