A technical crisis threatens Raja's calculations ahead of the clash with Egypt's Al-Ahly
Fans' anger decides the fate
Paco Jémez is on the brink at Raja. The Spaniard's reign as head coach of the Moroccan club looks all but over after a slump in results drained the board's patience. Raja have kept bleeding points in the league, supporters are furious, and the demands for an urgent change in the dugout are growing louder by the week.
Moroccan website "Hespress" report that Raja officials have decided to tear up Jémez's contract following the recent draw against Hassania Agadir. The Spaniard has failed to deliver the results, or the standard, that the club and its supporters expect.
A meeting between the board and Jémez is expected in the coming period to thrash out the terms of the split and end the relationship by mutual consent. That would close the book on the Spaniard and clear the way for a new man in charge.
Behind the scenes, Raja's management have already started weighing up their options. They want a coach capable of hauling the team out of trouble and restoring balance to the squad, with the club desperate to fight for titles again and reclaim its place among the elite of Moroccan and African football.
The draw against Hassania Agadir at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca piled fresh pressure on Jémez and threw his future back into doubt. The steady loss of points has become a genuine worry inside the club, with results sliding and no sign of a turnaround.
This is no longer just about what happens on the pitch. Raja supporters calling for the Spaniard's head have grown louder of late, laying the blame on the managing board and the sports company for the team's negative results and limp performances.
Decisive action is now demanded of Raja's management. The team must rediscover its confidence quickly before a run of crucial fixtures at home and in continental competition.
Three consecutive draws deepen the crisis
Raja's numbers in the Moroccan league lay bare the scale of their problems this season. They have gone three matches without a win, settling for draws against Maghreb de Fès, FUS Rabat and Hassania Agadir in turn.
A win over Nahdat Zemamra opened their campaign, but Raja could not build on it. They have slipped to eleventh on 6 points, a run of results that has raised serious doubts about their ability to compete.
Renaissance Berkane are up next this Sunday in the sixth round of the Moroccan league. It is a tough test that could decide the fate of the technical staff, with the pressure on Jémez mounting and the team crying out to rediscover its winning touch.
Jémez crisis puts the two Al-Ahly fixtures in the spotlight
The fallout stretches beyond the league. Raja sit in the same group as Egypt's Al-Ahly, alongside Togo's Kara and Angola's Primeiro de Agosto, in this season's CAF Confederation Cup.
Fans of both Al-Ahly and Raja are waiting on the two eagerly anticipated meetings between the sides in the third and fourth rounds of the group stage. Those games could show a very different Moroccan team if the change in the dugout goes through.
Al-Ahly are set to host Raja at Cairo Stadium between 18 and 20 December, before the Egyptian side travel to Morocco between 8 and 10 January.
Raja's management have yet to officially confirm the details of the split from Paco Jémez or name his successor. The coming hours could bring major developments, with the board keen to calm the supporters' anger and steady the ship before the domestic and continental tests ahead.
