Jacky Lorenzetti has launched a stinging attack on Owen Farrell, accusing the former England captain of dishonesty in the manner of his departure from Racing 92 earlier this summer.
The comments come just two and a half months after Racing and Saracens reached an agreement for Farrell to tear up the final year of his contract in Paris, paving the way for a return to North London.
Racing, who had originally paid £500,000 to buy Farrell out of his Saracens deal in 2023, were determined to recoup as much as possible of that outlay.
After a tense round of negotiations, a compromise fee was agreed, thought to be in the region of €225,000, ending Farrell’s underwhelming spell in France.
The 33-year-old had signed a two-year contract at La Défense Arena but managed just 17 appearances, his stay blighted by injuries and speculation about his long-term future.
Lorenzetti had previously defended his marquee signing in public, describing him as “an incredible leader” even as Racing slipped to tenth place in the Top 14.
His tone has now hardened dramatically.
For the Racing owner, it seems it was Farrell’s appearance over the summer for the British & Irish Lions that has left a sour taste in his mouth.
Just weeks after cutting short his unhappy stint at Racing 92, the 33-year-old fly-half was back in a red jersey, called up by father Andy Farrell for the tour of Australia. He made four appearances for the Lions despite having allegedly told Racing he needed to scale back his playing commitments.
Speaking this weekend, the Racing owner told L’Équipe: “I felt like throwing up. He left us saying: ‘I’m injured, I have a headache, I want to play less. Saracens are offering me this opportunity, etc.’
“And suddenly we find him with the Lions. It’s something I don’t understand. It’s called lying. You have to tell it like it is. It feels good to let him go! I felt like I’d been betrayed.”
Lorenzetti has form for turning on his stars, having previously criticised Siya Kolisi’s impact at Racing and branded Johan Goosen’s sudden 2016 retirement.
Farrell’s return to Saracens always looked inevitable, despite interest from Leicester Tigers and other Premiership sides.
The fly-half, who has 112 England caps and three World Cups to his name, is understood to have accepted a significant pay cut from the £685,000 a year reported in the French press to fit within Mark McCall’s wage structure at StoneX Stadium.
For Racing, the Farrell affair was the latest in a line of costly misfires in their “galacticos” recruitment drive, which also brought Siya Kolisi to the club after his World Cup heroics. Farrell, twice named European Player of the Year, was supposed to be the missing piece in the Parisian side’s pursuit of a first Champions Cup.
RugbyPass understands that Racing 92 are now moving away from the superstar model of recruitment, due to what Lorenzetti feels have been repeated high-profile dud signings for the club.
Although he specifically excluded Owen Farrell, Stuart Lancaster’s recent comments about his time at the club would seem to support the idea that there was a group of overpaid and underperforming stars employed at the Parisian side.
“In the environment I’ve just left [Racing 92], without naming names, there were a group of players… it was driving me insane. You know, on good money, turning up, checking in, checking out. Happy if they’re playing, happy if they’re not playing.
“They weren’t disruptive and they weren’t bad people. They were all good guys. But they didn’t have that desire to want to be the best they can be, and that really frustrated me at the time.”