Dario Sala scuttles down the stairs of his family home and returns to the living room. In his hands are a pair of football boots. They are, he believes, the final pair worn by his brother, Emiliano, before his tragic death in January.



The boots are personalised. The left boot is adorned by the blue and white flag of Argentina and the right boot has a small but meaningful inscription. “Tito, 9,” Dario smiles. “Tito means uncle in Spanish and he did this for his baby nephew, Augusto. Our sister Romina made Emi his godfather. So these boots, they say little but tell you a lot about Emi. Football, home and family.”



Dario, only 24, reaches for a sip of water. Six months have passed since this humble and tight-knit family from rural Argentina were catapulted into the global spotlight. Emiliano Sala, a 28-year-old striker, signed for Cardiff City from the French club Nantes and, in doing so, became the club’s record signing in a £15...