Police are investigating after an image of a mocked-up “boarding pass” for the late Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala was distributed on social media.

The 28-year-old Argentinian player died in a plane crash in the Channel two days after the Welsh club announced his signing on 19 January.

As Swansea City prepared to host rivals Cardiff City in a match on Sunday, an image was circulated online of a boarding pass with the flight number “D3AD” and the pilot named as Mikey Dye, a Cardiff supporter who died after an attack outside Wembley in 2011.

South Wales police said they had reviewed the picture on social media relating to Sala and were investigating an offence under the Malicious Communications Act.

The force said: “We will be working closely with both Swansea City and Cardiff City football clubs to identify the source. We would remind people not to share the image as they may be committing an offence.”

Swansea City said it was aware of the “disgraceful image” circulating on social media and was working closely with the police.

A statement on the club’s website added: “The image is shameful and does not represent this football club or our supporters in any way.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any discriminatory, unacceptable or antisocial behaviour, and this will be enforced rigorously before, during and after Sunday’s South Wales derby.

“Any supporters displaying this type of material or behaving in an unacceptable manner will face criminal proceedings.”

The club added that it would support South Wales police “in any public order or hate crime prosecutions surrounding these images and any related incidents during Sunday’s fixture at the Liberty stadium”.

Sala’s body was recovered on 6 February, but the pilot of the Piper Malibu private plane, David Ibbotson, 59, of Crowle in Lincolnshire, has not yet been located. Investigators have since said the striker may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Earlier this month, Cardiff City said it would appeal to the court of arbitration for sport against Fifa’s ruling that they must pay Nantes the transfer fee for Sala.