Sickening boarding passes mocking tragic Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala have been printed out ahead of the South Wales derby with Swansea on Sunday.

The fake passes carry the dead striker's name along with that of Michael Dye, a Bluebirds fan who was killed at an England game against Wales in 2011.

They also feature a flight number of "D3ad" and are emblazoned with the words "Swansea City Airlines" alongside the Swans' club crest.

It is not known who created the vile boarding passes, but they have been met with disgust from both Cardiff and Swansea fans ahead this weekend's derby at the Liberty Stadium.

A Swansea City spokesperson said: “We are aware of the disgraceful images and are currently investigating who and where they originated from.

“They are shameful and do not represent this football club or our supporters in any way. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any discriminatory, unacceptable or anti-social 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 a manner that is unacceptable will face criminal proceedings.

Show Player

“The club will be strongly supporting the Police in any public order or hate crime prosecutions surrounding these images and any related incidents during Sunday’s fixture."

(Image: Internet Unknown)

Sala died in a plane crash over the English Channel in January while travelling from France to Wales, where he was due to link up with his new Cardiff team-mates.

The Argentine was recovered in February but the body of the pilot, David Ibbotson, has never been found.

A report by The Air Accident Investigation Board showed the £15million star was exposed to potentially fatal levels of carbon monoxide before the crash.

A statement from Cardiff at the time read: "A club statement read: "Cardiff City Football Club is concerned at the AAIB's latest report which once again highlights that the aircraft used for Emiliano Sala was not appropriate.

Show more

"We continue to believe that those who were instrumental in arranging its usage are held to account for this tragedy."

FIFA recently ruled that Cardiff must pay Nantes £5.3million for the transfer of Sala; the first instalment of the club-record £15million fee.

(Image: PA)

Cardiff are set to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision on the grounds that Sala's revised contract was not signed and that his playing registration was not complete.

A Bluebirds statement read: "Cardiff City FC is extremely disappointed at the decision of the (FIFA) Players' Status Committee to award against the club.

"It would appear the committee has reached its conclusion on a narrow aspect of the overall dispute, without considering the full documentation presented by Cardiff City to FIFA.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

"Nevertheless there remains clear evidence that the transfer agreement was never completed in accordance with multiple contractual requirements which were requested by Nantes, thereby rendering it null and void.

"We shall be appealing to CAS in order to seek a decision which considers all of the relevant contractual information and provides clarity on the full legal situation between our two clubs.

(Image: AFP/Getty)

"This is a complex matter, which includes ongoing civil and criminal consideration both in the UK and abroad, which will likely have an impact on the validity of the transfer.

"It is therefore vital that a comprehensive judgement is reached following a full assessment and review of the facts."