UK police are investigating after a photo purportedly showing the body of footballer Emiliano Sala lying in a morgue was posted online.
Sala, 28, was killed in a plane crash in January, soon after signing for Premier League club Cardiff City in the mid-season transfer window.
But an image appearing to show the footballer's body lying in a morgue in Bournemouth, on England's south coast, was shared on Twitter by a now-deleted account.
Police were working on a theory that someone broke into the morgue to snap the photo.
"We are aware that a picture reported to be of Mr Sala's body has been shared on social media channels and are disgusted that somebody did this," a Dorset Police spokesman said.
"It is clearly a very difficult time for Mr Sala's family and they should not have to endure additional pain that this shameful act will undoubtedly cause.
"We are investigating this incident and are working together with a number of agencies to establish how the picture was taken and who is responsible."
A plane carrying Sala when he was en route to his new club disappeared from radar over the English Channel, before it was eventually found off the coast of Guernsey.
Cardiff had signed Sala for a club record fee of a reported 17 million euros from top-flight French side Nantes, but he never made it to his new club to make his Premier League bow.
The club paid tribute to Sala before a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth — Cardiff's first home game since the plane disappeared — with Sala's photograph appearing on the front cover of the matchday program and players celebrating the opening goal by holding up a shirt, also with Sala's photo on the front.
Cardiff has since struggled in the Premier League, and sits on the verge of relegation with two matches to play.
