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Racing president Jacky Lorenzetti hinted that Johan Goosen’s sudden retirement may just be “a way to get out of his contract”
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The fullback is reportedly trying to force a move elsewhere, namely Gloucester.
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Goosen was voted the Top 14’s Best Player of last season as he helped guide Racing to the title
In January 2014, Johan Goosen was alongside Welsh stars Sam Davies, Matthew Morgan and Rhys Priestland in a reported No.10 list linked with moves to Gloucester.
Little did we know that three years on, the Springbok would be at the centre of a rugby mystery with more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel.
Racing president Jacky Lorenzetti has now hinted that Goosen’s sudden retirement may just be “a way to get out of his contract”.
“Johan Goosen, whose contract was re-evaluated less than a year ago, now claims to be able to get rid of it in a fantastic way,” the statement said.
The French press this morning carry a few more details on the story, with the commercial director job apparently a load of nonsense. Instead, Midi Olympique claim that Goosen quit Racing in a bid to force a move elsewhere, namely Gloucester.
Gavin Mortimer has tweeted the news, here’s the thread. (The Mohed Altrad mentioned is the owner of Montpellier).
Here it comes…
Midi confirms all that was reported on Friday concerning Goosen’s decision to retire in order to escape Racing contract
2/— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) December 19, 2016
But paper points out that LNR rules prohibit a player who does what Goosen has done from playing for another French club for 18 months
3/— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) December 19, 2016
But that’s not a problem for Goosen, nor for Mohed Altrad, who @midi_olympique says is indeed his suitor
Why?
4/— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) December 19, 2016
Because Altrad wants Goosen to play not for Montpellier, but for Gloucester, and obviously in England the LNR rules don’t apply
5/— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) December 19, 2016
Racing president Jacky Lorezentti, perhaps not surprisingly, is furious. Calls Goosen’s decision to retire “a grotesque fraud”
6/— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) December 19, 2016
He confirms that the club is in the process of launching legal proceedings, and that Goosen’s release clause is €1m
7/— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) December 19, 2016
Midi asks Lorenzetti about Goosen’s proposed move to Gloucester & he says he’s confident that Goosen will have to sit out next 18 months
9/— gavin mortimer (@gavinmortimer7) December 19, 2016
What a weird situation. Midi also report that Goosen was offered to Toulon in the summer in exchange for Francois Trinh-Duc, but, while Racing were open to the idea, Toulon rejected the deal.