In the wake of his side's 38-15 loss to La Rochelle in Paris over the weekend, Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti has accused star playmaker Dan Carter of partying too much, a predicament which has left the reigning French champions lagging in the Top 14 standings.
Racing's home defeat has left them in eighth place after 20 games, with the Parisian club seven points off of the sixth-placed qualifying spot, currently occupied by Pau. They have just six remaining fixtures in the regular season to close the gap and qualify for the Top 14 play-offs.
Lorenzetti, a 69-year-old real estate billionaire, expressed his concern for Carter's partying habits, saying that his below par performances since his alleged drink driving incident have been central to Racing's underwhelming run to the play-offs.
"I have long said that man was perfect, that he knew only one fault: it was not to know precisely," Lorenzetti told Le Parisien.
"Finally it was discovered that he knew how to party. Perhaps today he is too much solicited from right and left by too many public relations operations.
"We will try to refocus him on rugby. The guy is responsible and big enough, I think he's going to do it on his own, we do not need to talk to him about it. He understood."
In Racing's defeat to La Rochelle on the weekend, Carter was booed by Racing fans as he was substituted in the 62nd minute in his first game for the club since he was caught drink driving in Paris last month.
"He gave a lot last year and it's normal that the fans expect a lot from him," Lorenzetti said.
"The hinge as you saw, was transparent."