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French flanker cops monster 19-week ban for 'brutality' just weeks after 7-week ban
By Josh Raisey
Provence flanker Guillaume Piazzoli has been handed a 19-week ban after pleading guilty to an act of foul play during Provence’s recent Pro D2 clash with Dax.
The 28-year-old was sent off for kneeing Dax fly-half Romuald Séguy to the back of the head after completing a tackle, trying to disguise it as an accident. France’s Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) subsequently charged Piazzoli under Law 9.11, which states that a player must not physically abuse anyone.
In a statement, the LNR confirmed that Piazzoli was found guilty of “brutality”, specifically “striking with his knee”. The disciplinary commission assessed it as a high-end offence, issuing a 20-week entry point. That sanction was increased by two weeks due to his prior disciplinary record before being reduced by three weeks for mitigation, including his guilty plea and expression of remorse, resulting in a final 19-week ban.
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The flanker had already received a red card earlier in the season against Biarritz for kicking a player on the ground, which resulted in a seven-match suspension.
It is the latest in a long list of suspensions in Piazzoli’s career and the third involving contact with an opponent on the ground.
🟥 19 Fechas de suspensión para GUILLAUME PIAZZOLI tercera linea de Provence
Rodillazo al apertura de Dax que estaba en el piso pic.twitter.com/E6KBx0Xflm
— Fran Capizzi 🏉📺🇦🇷 (@Fran_Capizzi) March 4, 2026
In 2022, he received a five-week ban for stamping during a Pro D2 fixture against Bourg-en-Bresse, an offence which was deemed to be the low degree of danger.
The latest sanction is his most severe to date. Piazzoli is expected to miss the remainder of the current Pro D2 season, with his return-to-play date to be at some point next season.
