Raja Club Athletic Name New Sporting Director
Sommacal is one of the leading figures in sports management, with over 20 years of extensive experience. He has worked closely with international players such as Aurélien Tchouaméni, Jules Koundé, and Jonathan Gradit. He began his career at French club Bordeaux and has also worked in Africa, notably with Tunisian clubs Étoile du Sahel and Club Sportif Bizertin.
The announcement comes just as Raja begins pre-season training. The club's leadership is counting on Sommacal to spearhead a broader restructuring process affecting both the technical and administrative arms of the organisation, as outlined by president Jawad Ziyet.
Despite the optimism, reactions on social media were mixed. One user wrote: 'All support to the club's management. Let's ease up on the criticism, be patient, and let people do their jobs.'
Another fan said: 'Just keep going and stay focused on your work. What matters to us is seeing Raja as a great club. We're not concerned with names, selection methods, or the process — what truly matters is achieving positive results. As Raja loyalists, we'll continue playing our part in supporting this proud and historic institution.'
However, criticism was also directed at the choice. One supporter said: 'What does the sporting director have to do with youth development? His main role is to manage the first team, oversee transfers while maintaining financial balance, and rely on a solid network of agents and contacts.' Tags: botola proRaja Club Athletic
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
11 hours ago
- Morocco World
Raja Secure Loan Deal for Mouad Dahak
Raja Club Athletic have completed the signing of Mouad Dahak from Union Touarga on a one-season loan. The 20-year-old plays as a right winger. He put on a wonderful performance throughout the whole season with Union Touarga Sports. He played 27 games, scored 8 goals, and gave 4 assists. He stood as the Player of the Month in February in the Botola Pro. As for the national team, he played a crucial role in bringing the North African Championship home and qualifying for the next African Cup. At just 20, he managed to give 2 passes and deliver the best performance among all players in the match against Egypt and Libya. Born and raised in Casablanca, Dahak is a product of the Mohammed VI Academy, renowned for developing disciplined, technically skilled players. Since the return of club president Jawad Ziyat, Raja has focused on signing new players, strengthening their squad weaknesses and increasing competition while securing contract renewals for key players. The club have brought back former captain Badr Banoun to shore up the defence, and midfielder Mohamed Makahasi to add control in the centre of the park. They have also signed Othmane Chraibi and Bilal Ould-Chikh from the Dutch league, Nigerian midfielder Orkuma Moses, Fath Union's central defender Ayoub Mouloua, and Olympic Club Safi goalkeeper Khalid Kbiri Alaoui, following his standout performances in the Throne Cup. Contract extensions have been secured for Adam Nafati and Abdellah Khafifi, while talks remain ongoing with Tawfik Bentayeb, as the club look to bring him to the Green Castle Tags: botola proMouad Dahakraja
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Morocco World
A League of Their Own
The business of sports has often undergone profound change, particularly for the world's most popular sport—soccer. FIFA-sponsored tournaments like the recent Club World Cup are very popular and are watched by millions across the globe. During major matches, Morocco's cafés are filled with Wydad and Berkane jerseys, as well as Ryal Madrid and Chelsea kits. Many welcomed the news that Morocco's famed soccer club from Casablanca, Raja, has just inked a new partnership agreement with Marsa Maroc, the nation's marine port services provider and operator whose operating revenue was $500 million last year. The groundbreaking partnership takes place within the regulations that govern the transformation of athletic clubs into sports companies/enterprises. The partnersip brings a new day for sports ownership and management in Morocco just as international soccer, particularly in the developing world, becomes a prized commodity in search of marketing acumen and institutional discipline. FIFA's revenue in 2024, for example, was $483 million, 73% of which came from marketing and licensing efforts. Marsa Maroc, through its autonomous corporate social responsibility (CSR) entity, Ports4Impact, acquired a 60% stake in Raja SA (the team's parent association) with an investment of MAD 150 million ($15 million) spread over three years. Importantly, Ports4Impact will appoint the President of Raja SA, who will then oversee club activities related to the management, institutional development, and community engagement efforts. Squad governance and onfield decisionmaking will remain with Raja Association through its existing structures, personnel and procedures. The Raja Association will retain 40% by transferring assets worth MAD 100 million ($10 million), including brand rights and player contracts. Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), attended the signing ceremony in Bouskoura alongside Abdessalam Belkachour, President of the National Professional Football League, and representatives from both Raja and Marsa Maroc. Sports, Entertainment & Business Raja is now presented with the opportunity to be more than a legendary soccer franchise with 13 Botola Pro titles. Creating a macro narrative—local soccer culture, hometown culture, the brand of a place/people—takes work and talent. Més que un club (More than a club), in Catalan. In the United States, the popular sports and entertainment television network ESPN just struck a preliminary deal with the National Football League (NFL) in which ESPN will now have broadcasting access to some of the NFL's top programs and additional match coverage. In exchange, the NFL will reportedly receive an equity stake in ESPN, American news channels have reported. Sports teams scross the globe know the growing importance of marketing, branding, and contractual agreements as competition for talent grows and television broadcast rights expand. One example: The Dallas Cowboys–America's Team. This now famous nickname for the Cowboys was penned by an NFL employee who produced the iconic NFL highlight films in the 1970s. Decades later, he described the inspiration in an interview: 'I wanted to come up with a different twist on their team highlight film. I noticed then, and had noticed earlier, that wherever the Cowboys played, you saw people in the stands with Cowboys jerseys and hats and pennants. Plus, they were always the national game on television.'Fenway Sports Group owns the Boston Red Sox (MLB) as well as Premier League's Liverpool Football Club. Liberty Media Corporation owns a controlling interest in Formula 1 racing. A complex system for an on-demand world where bigger gets more media attention, earned and free. As Morocco's global soccer profile continues to rise, national clubs like Raja, Wydad, Berkane and FAR Rabat will find themselves playing in premier tournaments around the globe where best-in-class marketing, operations, and licensing capabilities may bolster onfield performance, as well as fan loyalty. This so-called 'sports, Inc.' phenomenon is a work in progress. In Europe, legal disputes are brewing as private (sometimes foreign) investment is now becoming a driver of elite player salaries. The allure of global tournaments is real, though: The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup tournament prize pool was an impressive $1 billion. Morocco is a fast-rising soccer powerhouse and Raja, in particular, is 'a global club in every sense of the word', Lekjaa noted in his remarks. 'The national football will not be well unless this trio [Raja, Wydad and AS FAR] is well.' Marsa Maroc pledged that if any profits or dividends are generated in the future, Ports4Impact will reinvest them entirely in the club to support both its sustainable development and success. Decision-making questions, perhaps, may arise over some issues: onfield team leadership selection process, foreign tournament selection process, competitive parity in Morocco's domestic Botola Pro (premier) league. These questions are common, too, in American professional sports. A new day dawns for a storied Moroccan soccer franchise. Onfield performance will now have a logistical, promotional and administrative mate as the international soccer community continues to mature—and to brand. Tags: African footballMoroccan football team
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Morocco World
The Hakimi Play: France's Theatre of Justice
Achraf Hakimi: By any footballing measure, Achraf Hakimi has just had the season of his life. Four trophies with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) – including the club's first UEFA Champions League – 27 goal involvements from right-back, and a tactical mutation under Luis Enrique that saw him playing more winger than a right-back. The Atlas Lion is now hurtling, eyes fixed on football's most gilded prey — the Ballon d'Or. Until, of course, the French justice system decided to butt in. Last Friday, French prosecutors gave the kiss of life to a two-and-a-half-year-old rape case. The timing is suspicious. One could argue it reeks of sabotage to the benefit of none other than Hakimi's PSG teammate – and French international – Ousmane Dembélé. So, let's unpack this murky farce. The Case That Refused to Die On February 27, 2023, the Nanterre prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation into Hakimi. Oddly, no official complaint had been filed. No medical certificate. No physical evidence. Nothing that typically kickstarts such a serious accusation. Yet the judicial gears turned. And just as the Ballon d'Or jury was set to consider its shortlist of nominees, France wants to send the Moroccan star to the criminal court. A Shaky Accusation The case itself is riddled with inconsistencies. Leaked messages between the accuser – dubbed 'Amélie' – and her friend Nadia paint a picture more of premeditated manipulation and financial blackmail than victimhood. Hours before visiting Hakimi's home, Amélie texted 'J'ai le démon mdrr,' while Nadia urged her to go 'mode femme fatale' and 'dépouiller' the player – street slang for robbing someone blind. They even exchanged lyrics from a French rap song about taking risks for financial gain. At 1:15 am, Amélie reportedly texted that she was keen on a sexual encounter. Yet post-incident, she refused to share the full exchange with the police. It was only after detectives grilled her friend that these incriminating messages surfaced, which the accuser had deleted. Hakimi, for his part, has flatly denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer has decried the prosecution's demand for trial as 'insane.' Kylian Mbappé, the most valuable French footballer on Earth, backed his former teammate, stating Hakimi is 'respectful with women' and never exhibited any inappropriate behaviour. The Club des Avocats au Maroc has now stepped in, forming an independent commission to scrutinise the legal circus. Their concerns are about whether French justice is playing fair. So Why Now? Because it's all so perfectly orchestrated. Hakimi's bid for the Ballon d'Or is backed by substance: stats, trophies, records, performances. But France wouldn't dare let a Moroccan lay his hands on the Ballon d'Or in lieu of their golden boy. Hakimi is now cloaked in controversy. Not from new evidence. Not from trial proceedings. But from media noise, carefully timed to stain his image ahead of the Ballon d'Or voting. Hakimi may be facing the match of his life, not on the pitch but in the court of public opinion. In the end, history may judge Hakimi not by the awards he didn't win, but by the smear campaign he survived. And if France thinks it can quietly hand the Ballon d'Or to Dembélé through judicial puppeteering, it may well find the world is watching – and not buying a single word. Tags: HakimiL'ÉquipeMoroccoOusmane Dembele
