Several private football academies in Morocco have raised questions over the legal basis and implementation of a new Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) decision restricting academies and football schools from operating under the names of foreign clubs.
The measure comes as the FRMF moves to establish a national framework governing the organization and management of private football academies and schools across Morocco.
Some academy managers, however, say they have yet to receive official notification from the federation and question how the new measure applies to organizations operating under Morocco’s existing legal framework for sports.
Academies question legal basis
Speaking to Hespress English on condition of anonymity, the manager of one academy said the organization operates in accordance with Law No. 30-09 on physical education and sports.
“Our club operates within the framework of Law No. 30-09,” the source said, questioning the legal basis for the FRMF decision and how it would be implemented.
The manager said the academy had not received any official communication from the federation regarding the decision.
The source also said the FRMF had not yet met with the affected academies and football schools to discuss the measure, raising concerns over consultation and transparency.
Thousands of young players could be affected
Private football academies have expanded significantly across Morocco in recent years, with some organizations operating in several cities and regions and training thousands of young players.
The academies generally focus on developing players’ physical and technical abilities while allowing them to determine their own future sporting pathways.
The academy manager said existing partnerships or affiliations with foreign clubs do not force young players to join those clubs.
“We don’t choose where the child wants to play,” the source said, adding that players remain free to decide which club or pathway they want to pursue.
The manager argued that restricting academies without first consulting them could create uncertainty for the children and families who rely on the schools for training.
“Private football academies and schools have expanded across Morocco in recent years, operating in several cities and regions and attracting thousands of young players,” he said. “Banning them doesn’t mean regulating them.”
“If only they had spoken to us or met with us before making the decision. Now, we are left with the burden of explaining it to the children, while the decision could affect their ability to continue playing football,” he added.
Read also: Why Morocco’s football federation is banning foreign club names from academies
Debate over foreign club affiliations
The FRMF’s move comes partly amid concerns over links between Moroccan academies and foreign clubs and the potential scouting and recruitment of young Moroccan talent.
The academy manager said there is a legitimate need to ensure young players have access to quality training and development opportunities.
“We can agree on one thing: if a young player has the opportunity to join a public academy and continue his training there, I am sure he will,” the source said.
“When a child wants to train and dreams of becoming the next Lamine Yamal, they need a place where they can train and develop their talent. That is what we provide, with a greater vision for their future,” he added.
The comments reflect a broader debate over how Morocco should regulate the rapidly expanding private academy sector while ensuring that young players have access to structured training opportunities.
Regulation or restriction?
The FRMF’s effort to establish a national framework for private football academies is expected to bring greater structure to a sector that has expanded rapidly in recent years.
However, academy managers say greater clarity is needed over the scope of the new rules, their legal basis and how existing partnerships with foreign clubs will be treated.
The distinction between regulating private football academies and restricting their affiliations or branding could become particularly important as the federation moves to implement the new framework.
For academy operators, the issue also concerns the thousands of children who train at private schools across Morocco and the continuity of their sporting development.
The FRMF has not yet publicly detailed, in the material available for this report, how existing academy partnerships will be affected or what specific procedures organizations will have to follow under the new framework.
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