Raja Casablanca (RCA) President Aziz El Badraoui and his executive board will present their resignation to the club’s general meeting on May 26, the club announced in a social media post today.
The meeting will also include elections for a new president and board, the statement added.
El Badraoui’s board announcement comes in the wake of the death of a 29-year-old football fan last week during a stampede near the Mohammed V complex in Casablanca.
The death of the football fan stirred backlash and protests over the inadequate planning and management of sports events in Morocco.
Many viral videos and pictures documented scenes of violence and vandalism ahead of the match on the day the supporter died, causing stampedes as a large crowd of supporters attempted to force their way to the inside of the Mohammed V stadium.
The announced departure of the club’s president also comes amid requests from football supporters calling for his resignation in the aftermath of last week’s tragic incident.
In addition, the news of the board’s scheduled resignation comes on the heels of several losses in recent Raja games, with one of the club’s latest defeats being its 2-0 loss to Egypt’s Al Ahly in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League. Many of the club’s frustrated supporters have blamed Raja’s poor season on El Badraoui’s failing leadership.
