Division among clubs muddles proposal to scrap relegation in Morocco
17 clubs in favour and 7 against
A meeting between officials of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the National Professional Football League and the presidents of Morocco's top-flight clubs brought fresh developments over the proposal to scrap relegation and expand the number of clubs. A majority backed the project. Some opposed it, and others abstained.
The Moroccan website "Le Botola" reported: "17 clubs voted in favour of the proposal to abolish relegation and increase the number of Moroccan league clubs, while seven clubs chose not to support it, between rejection and abstention from voting."
Those seven clubs split between outright rejection and abstention, with conflicting reports over exactly where some of them stood during the meeting.
Raja Club Athletic, FUS Rabat, Touarga, Club Meknassi, Chabab Soualem and Wydad Fès rejected the proposal. AS FAR, Wydad AC and Maghreb de Fès abstained.
That leaves the plan to reshape the Moroccan league facing a new dilemma, particularly given the insistence that any move to adopt the new format from next season must respect the legal and regulatory procedures in force.
Winning the consent of the clubs involved and honouring the laws and regulations governing the competitions stands out as one of the biggest obstacles, especially if the change is pushed through on an exceptional basis and outside the usual channels.
According to "Le Botola", the presence of opposing clubs may make passing the proposal in its current form complicated, particularly if the change is adopted exceptionally and without following the procedures imposed by the laws and regulations governing the competitions.
The board of directors of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation now faces a thorny file, having expected the proposal to command wider support among the clubs.
Reports suggest the discussion went well beyond the sporting side. Regulatory considerations and calculations tied to the football landscape and the upcoming fixtures came into play too, which could make finding a consensus over the league's make-up next season even harder.
For now, the fate of the proposal to abolish relegation and increase the number of Moroccan league clubs hinges on whether the various parties can overcome the objections and align the decision with the laws and regulatory procedures in force.
