European Champions Cup
Castrogiovanni receives suspended four-match ban
ESPN Staff
December 17, 2014
Martin Castrogiovanni launched a foul-mouthed tirade at Leicester Tigers chief Richard Cockerill © Getty Images
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Martin Castrogiovanni has received a suspended four-match ban and been ordered to pay a €10,000 (£7,900) fine to a Leicester-based charity over his foul-mouthed outburst at Tigers chief Richard Cockerill.

The prop sought out journalists after Toulon's Champions Cup defeat to Leicester earlier this month to hit back at his former club's director of rugby Cockerill, who had claimed Castrogiovanni swapped the Tigers for the Top 14 outfit in 2013 for financial reasons.

"I thought f****** Leicester were f****** amateur. I never want to speak with Cockers any more. I just don't like ****s," Castrogiovanni, who spent seven years at Welford Road, had said. The six-minute tirade reportedly included nine mentions of the f-word and two of the c-word.

Following a misconduct complaint, the Italy international appeared before an independent disciplinary committee in London on Thursday. His ban is suspended until April 30 2016, and will be activated "in the event of any off-field misconduct complaint being successfully brought against him", European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR).

In a statement, EPCR said: "After considering evidence and hearing submissions on behalf of Castrogiovanni, who pleaded guilty, and on behalf of the EPCR disciplinary officer, the independent disciplinary committee found that Castrogiovanni was guilty of misconduct and that the comments made were utterly indefensible.

"The committee chairman, Antony Davies, accepted that Castrogiovanni's comments regarding Leicester Tigers being 'amateur' were made in an ironic and questioning manner, and therefore did not constitute criticism. He also acknowledged the player's genuine remorse."

Castrogiovanni, who did not play in last weekend's return Champions Cup fixture between Toulon and Leicester, was accompanied at the hearing by his legal representative Julian Pike, Toulon team manager Tom Whitford and the player's agent Matthew Ginvert.

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