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Emiliano Sala plane disappearance: Gary Lineker scolds Cristiano Ronaldo for private jet tweet amid search for Cardiff City striker

Gary Lineker has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo for posting a photo from inside a private jet, shortly after footballer Emiliano Sala went missing on board a plane to Cardiff.

Ronaldo’s tweet shows the footballer smiling as he takes a photo of himself while aboard the luxury aircraft, accompanied with a string of emojis including one which shows a plane taking off.

Calling out the Portuguese sports star for his timing, the Match of the Day pundit retweeted the post and added: “Not the day for this tweet. It really isn’t.”

When one follower asked whether Lineker was “trying to get a 2nd person fired in 1 week?” he replied: “Not at all, and I’m sure he’s done it without knowledge or awareness, but perhaps someone could let him know.”

Standard Online has contacted Ronaldo's representatives for comment.

Earlier, Lineker tweeted his hopes that Sala would be found soon, writing: “Terribly worrying news that @CardiffCityFC’s new signing Emiliano Sala was on board the small plane that has gone missing. Hopefully, somehow, they’ll be found and safe.”

Fears: Argentinian forward Emiliano Sala pictured playing on January 13 (AFP/Getty Images)
Fears: Argentinian forward Emiliano Sala pictured playing on January 13 (AFP/Getty Images)

Argentine striker Sala was set to arrive in the UK to join Cardiff City FC in a £15 million deal, which marked a record for the Welsh side.

The footballer was travelling to Wales from Nantes in Brittany, and was one of two people on board a Piper Malibu aeroplane which lost contact with air traffic control while it was around 15 miles north of Guernsey, flying at 2,300ft.

Search and rescue operations for the plane resumed early this morning, after being suspended at sunset last night.

Guernsey Police said: “Conditions during the search last night were challenging, with wave heights of up to two metres, with heavy rain showers and poor visibility.

“Today the sea is much calmer and although visibility was good, it is now deteriorating.”

Sala’s father Horatio told media that he is “just beginning to think the worst.”

Cardiff City chief executive Ken Choo said that the club was “very shocked upon hearing the news that the plane had gone missing.”

“We expected Emiliano to arrive last night into Cardiff and today was due to be his first day with the team.”