Morocco: Raja Casablanca president resigns following football fan death, other controversies

The president of Moroccan football club Raja Casablanca announced his resignation with immediate effect on Thursday, amid intense pressure to leave his position, Moroccan media reported.

In a statement published on social media, the top Moroccan club said that Aziz El Badraoui had resigned after completing any remaining official duties at the end of last month.

The club added that the executive board will officially present the Moroccan businessman’s resignation in a meeting on 26 May, which will also include elections for the club's new president.

El Badraoui had held the position for just under a year, after being elected in June 2022.

Just hearing; the President of Raja, Aziz El Badraoui has resigned from his position with immediate effect. 🚨🇲🇦

Understand, it’s due to the failure of Raja qualifying to the Champions League semi-finals against Al Ahly and some other internal factors. #AfricanFootball… pic.twitter.com/iGJuQfdDk2

— Micky Jnr ✪ (@MickyJnr__) May 5, 2023

El Badraoui’s resignation comes in the aftermath of the death of a female fan during a stampede at a match last week.

The 29-year-old, identified as Nora, died in a crush before a match took place last week between the Casablanca giants and Egypt’s Al-Ahly for the CAF Champions League quarter-finals at the Stade Mohammed V last Saturday.

The stampede occurred as thousands of fans attempted to get into the ground to see Raja Casablanca's bid to overturn a 2-0 deficit against the Egyptian team. The match ended 0-0.

The woman's death sparked outrage in the North African country, prompting activists and football fans to call for an investigation into her death.

Moroccans decried the authorities’ mismanagement of the sporting event, as well as the excessive use of water canons that some say led to Nora's death.

Other factors might have contributed to El Badraoui’s resignation, including Raja’s failure to reach the semi-finals of the CAF Championship, as well as poor recent performances which left the team trailing behind their rivals in fifth place in the Moroccan Botola (Championship) league.

In addition, El Badraoui was marred in a controversy surrounding ticket prices earlier last month. Fans of Wydad - Raja's rivals - accused El Badraoui of "exploiting" them, after ticket prices of a match between the teams doubled. El Badraoui dismissed their complaints, saying they should "watch at home" if they can't afford the tickets. 

Raja Club Athletic was founded in 1949 in Casablanca and remains one of the most popular and widely supported teams in both Morocco and Africa. The team has 12 Botola championships, as well as three CAF Champions League trophies.