Football journalist Luca Esposito shot dead and set on fire in horrific execution

Awful news.

Esposito's body was discovered in a charred state near an area of farmland, when firefighters were directed to a fire in the locality that turned out to have emanated from the scene of the 53-year-old's death.

Esposito was well known as a journalist in Italy for his collaborative work on the newspaper La Città di Salerno, as well as the TV station Otto Channel, and for personally running the football news website Tuttosalernitana.com.

Police reportedly discovered the casing of bullets in the close vicinity to where the journalist's body was discovered, however an autopsy, quoted in another Rai report has indicated: "Initial observations of the body revealed a blow to the head, which, however, is not consistent with a gunshot wound. However, confirmation will only be obtained after further examination. [Translated from Italian].

Due to the burn state of Esposito's body, it was initially impossible to make an identification, however Rai News report, that the discovery of the 53-year-old's car helped investigators uncover the truth of the situation.

There is shock amongst Italy's media community, and the European and International Federations of Journalists, alongside their regional Italian equivalents, have called for an investigation into the death of Esposito, abs to whether his death "was linked to his work as a journalist."

The director for Otto Channel, an outlet for which Esposito worked as a collaborator has provided the following statement, as quoted by Rai News.

"Luca was a valuable collaborator for us as a commentator, certainly inconvenient but never banal and above all always courageous in defending his opinions on the world of football.

"In this difficult time, we express our deepest sympathies to the family who are experiencing such terrible grief and hope that law enforcement can shed full light on a tragedy that is causing great public concern, bringing those responsible to justice.

"At Otto Channel, we are deeply saddened also because Luca would have been one of the key commentators on our sports programs next season.

"With Annibale Discepolo, he would have formed a fun and brilliant duo on the program dedicated to Avellino football.

"Luca was extremely popular and always a talking point. A big hug to the family from the entire Otto Channel and Ottopagine team ."