Will sanctions ever be enough to put an end to hooliganism in Moroccan stadiums?

Following fan riots at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the Central Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has imposed a series of sanctions against AS FAR and Raja Casablanca.

The most significant measure requires AS FAR to play five home matches behind closed doors, along with a ban on hosting matches at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex for the remainder of the season, excluding continental and international fixtures.

These sanctions have reignited debate over whether the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and other future World Cup venues should host Botola Pro fixtures, as hooliganism continues to persist.

Speaking to Hespress, sports expert Abdellatif Motawakil said “the gravity of the violent events that took place during the AS FAR–Raja match was expected and came as no surprise to those familiar with hooligan culture in Moroccan football, given the tension and hostility between certain fan groups, a reality evident daily across social media platforms.”

Motawakil opposed the decision to restrict fan attendance at stadiums built for the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup, arguing that “fans must be embraced, with both their flaws and their positive sides.”

Aziz Daouda, another sports expert, strongly condemned the events, describing them as shameful acts that go against the spirit of the game.

He emphasized that the league’s organizing committee has the legal authority to impose sanctions to ensure proper order, noting that certain groups deliberately breached security barriers to confront opposing fans, a criminal act that goes far beyond acceptable supporter behavior.

Daouda stressed that these actions targeted national infrastructure built with taxpayers’ money and, by extension, damage Morocco’s image and collective achievements. He called for strict measures against those arrested.

The sports expert concluded by calling for a comprehensive study of hooliganism to better understand its causes and dynamics, emphasizing that sporting and disciplinary sanctions alone are not sufficient. He said the social and psychological dimensions of such behavior must also be examined to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.