Hometown in Argentina cries for Sala during his funeral

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01:07

The funeral of footballer Emiliano Sala took place in Santa Fe, Argentina on Saturday. Family members and friends gathered at the crematorium in his hometown of Progreso to pay their final respects to the deceased Argentine footballer striker, who died in a plane crash.

Soon after sealing a record transfer deal with the Cardiff City football club, 28-year-old Sala was flying from the French city of Nantes to Cardiff in Wales when his light aircraft crashed into the English Channel on January 21.

Romina Sala, sister of late Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala, kisses her brother's coffin after it was loaded on a hearse, during his funeral at the Club Atletico y Deportivo San Martin in Progreso, Santa Fe, Argentina. /VCG Photo

Sala's body was recovered from the wreckage following a privately-funded search and was repatriated to Argentina on Friday. It was then driven from Buenos Aires to the Santa Fe province where Sala grew up.

The body was earlier kept at a wake at Club Atletico Social San Martin, the club Sala played for during his youth in his hometown.

Emiliano Sala's aunt Mirta Taffarel talks to the media as she leaves the vigil at Sala's boyhood club San Martin de Progreso in Progreso, Argentina. /VCG Photo

People from different walks of life stood in a long queue to say final goodbye to their tragic hero.

Sala had signed for the English Premier League in a club record 15 million pound (19 million U.S. dollars) deal from the French Ligue 1 side just a few days before the tragedy truncated his life.

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock and chief executive Ken Choo joined members of Sala's family, while Sala's former club Nantes was represented by general secretary Loic Morin and defender and friend Nicolas Pallois.