Nantes pay emotional tribute to Sala

Tributes left outside the stadium for Emiliano Sala. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

NANTES, France (Reuters) - Emotions ran high as Nantes paid tribute to their former player Emiliano Sala on Wednesday in their first game since the Argentine went missing in a light aircraft over the English Channel.

Referee Frank Schneider stopped play in the Ligue 1 match against St Etienne at La Beaujoire in the ninth minute -- in a possible reference to Sala's shirt number -- for a minute of applause during which Nantes coach Vahid Halilhodzic was in tears.