Racing 92 have sacked Fiji international Leone Nakarawa.
An official statement from the Top 14 outfit confirmed the club had dismissed the highly-regarded second-row after he returned late to the club following this year's World Cup in Japan.
The 31-year-old was due back at the club on October 28, but Racing's statement states he was absent without permission for two weeks beyond his return date - adding that his actions demonstrated "a total lack of team spirit and a marked insubordination".
The club also claims that the player did not answer their messages during his absence, criticising his "deplorable example" to team-mates.
The statement accuses Nakarawa of 'abandoning his post", claiming that "this is not the first time".
Prior to his sacking, the lock had been 'provisionally laid off'. A Pacific Rugby players' body had claimed he had stayed in his homeland to complete building work on a house, claiming that the French club were aware.
The 2018 European Player of the Year is unlikely to be without a club for long, with Sale Sharks boss Steve Diamond revealing recently that contact with Nakarawa had taken place.
“We are looking for a high-quality lock,” Diamond said at the end of November.
“He’s apparently gone missing but we’ve tracked him down and we’re in negotiations at the moment.”
However, BBC East sports reporter James Burridge has since said club sources have ruled out a move for Nakarawa.
