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What did he do?
Tensions in Morocco’s football scene have risen to unprecedented levels after Olympique Safi issued a scathing official statement containing open legal threats against Raja’s defender Badr Bannoun, amid what the club described as “offensive and provocative” statements by the player following the end of the recent Casa derby.
One phrase angers anger
The crisis erupted in the 20th round of the Moroccan Premier League following a heated encounter between Raja and arch-rivals Waidad Casablanca, which ended with Waidad winning with a clean sheet, which deepened Raja’s wounds and further removed him from the title race.
In an unexpected scene, Badr Bannoun got into a heated verbal altercation with Waidad defender Abdel Ghafoor Lamirat at the entrance to the stadium tunnels, where he accused him of deliberately wasting time in the final minutes of the match. But it wasn’t the accusations that sparked the real firestorm, but how Bannon phrased his criticism.
Raja’s defender said in a distinctly provocative tone. “It’s a shame to waste time playing for a big team, not Olympique Safi,” clearly hinting at downplaying the status of the Safi club and its position on the Moroccan football map.
Fiery reaction
It did not take long for the announcements to reach the ears of Olympic Safi officials, who considered the incident a serious violation that required a decisive and public response.
In a rare move in Moroccan football, the club released a lengthy official statement that carried a strong legal tone and an unmistakable tone of anger.
The club started its statement by saying: “Following the irresponsible and unacceptable behavior and provocative and disgraceful statements made by Raja Club player Badr Banun after the end of the derby game, which included open mockery and deliberate demotion in front of Olympic Safi Club, the club’s absolute representatives and media representatives. condemns these unethical and unsportsmanlike actions.”
An insult to an ancient institution and not a passing emotion
Olympique Safi categorically refused to classify what happened as a momentary outburst or a slip of the tongue, but considered it “disgraceful behavior that directly affects a long-standing sports institution, its history, its people and fans, and is an unacceptable and unacceptable insult to national football and the respect it has always had for the football club.”
The statement said that “insulting the club or trying to undermine its status and dignity is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated under any justification or circumstance”, adding that the matter becomes more serious “when it comes from a player who belongs to a major club with which the club has a historical relationship based on mutual respect”.
Official requests to open an investigation and impose preventive sentences
Olimpic Safi was not satisfied with the verbal condemnation, but rather made clear formal demands to the relevant football authorities. The club called on the National Professional Football League to “launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into this incident and take the necessary strict disciplinary measures against the player in question, protect the reputation of national football institutions and uphold the ethics of Moroccan sport”.
The statement said the move was necessary “to put an end to such provocative behavior that will fuel tensions and damage the image of national football”, making it clear that the issue has gone beyond a mere dispute between the two clubs and has become an issue affecting Moroccan football as a whole.
Threat of resorting to court and legal procedures
In a remarkable escalation, Olympique Safi declared that he fully reserves “his right to follow all legal and regulatory procedures guaranteed by law in defense of his reputation, dignity and moral interests,” holding Badr Bannoun “full responsibility for the consequences of these reckless actions.”
This apparent legal threat opens the door for the crisis to turn from a mere sporting dispute into a legal matter that could end up in court, a rare precedent in Moroccan football history, as clubs rarely go to court in such cases.
