Aussie duo see lighter side of Vegas ban

Thu, Apr 28, 2016, 12:21 AM
AFP & Beth Newman
by AFP & Beth Newman

Wallabies duo Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell found the funny side of Italy prop Martin Castrogiovani's club ban this week.

Castrogiovanni has been suspended by Racing 92 after he was photographed partying with Paris Saint-Germain players in Las Vegas, his club said on Tuesday.

Racing also said they would open judicial proceedings against the Argentine-born front-rower.

While Racing were in Nottingham beating Leicester Tigers 19-16 to reach their first ever European Champions Cup final on Sunday, Castrogiovanni was in Las Vegas with PSG players celebrating their 2-1 French League Cup victory over Lille on Saturday.

Wearing sunglasses and displaying a distinctive tattoo on his naked torso, Castrogiovanni appeared in a photo on PSG star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Instagram account alongside the Swede and Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore.

"Following the publication in the press today (Tuesday) of photographs showing Martin Castrogiovanni together with Paris Saint Germain footballers this weekend in Las Vegas, while the whole of the rest of the club's squad were in Nottingham to tackle a European Cup semi-final, Racing 92 have decided to temporarily suspend its player and begin judicial proceedings," said a statement from the Parisian Top 14 outfit.

Giteau and Mitchell took to Twitter to jokingly campaign for Castrogiovanni's 'freedom'.

Castrogiovanni is friends with several of PSG's Argentine contingent, including Pastore and winger Angel Di Maria.

 A number of PSG players, including Ibrahimovic, Pastore, Italy midfielder Marco Verratti and his compatriot Salvatore Sirigu went to Vegas with the permission of their club -- they have already sewn up the Ligue 1 title and their only significant remaining fixture is the French Cup final against arch-rivals Marseille on May 21.

 A number of attractive young bikini-clad women also appear in the selection of photographs shared on Ibrahimovic's Instagram account.

 Castrogiovanni, 34, joined Racing from Toulon at the start of this season on a one-year deal with an option for a further season.

 He was not included in the squad picked to play Leicester at the weekend.

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