Please explain the reason for the organizational breakdown

Raja Sports Club issued an explanatory statement in the wake of the events that occurred at the Mohammed V Complex during the match that brought it together with Olympique Safi, last Saturday, after thousands of fans were denied entry to the stadium despite having tickets and subscription cards, and the subsequent partial storming of the stands.

The report confirmed that a significant number of forged subscription cards and tickets were detected, which resulted in a number of fans who had valid tickets or subscription cards being deprived of normal access to the stadium.

The club announced that it reserves its right to resort to the judiciary against people “who have forged subscription cards or tickets, with the aim of taking the necessary legal measures against everyone whose involvement is proven.” He also indicated that he initiated contacts with the competent authorities in order to evaluate what happened and review the organizational system outside the stadium, to avoid the recurrence of such events.

In the context of presenting the organizational details of the match, the communication explained that the ticket sales process was carried out in full respect of the stadium’s capacity, as the number of tickets sold reached 20,555 tickets, in addition to about 14,000 subscription cards, bringing the total number to 34,555 spectators, which represents 77 percent of the complex’s capacity of 45,000 seats.

The same source added that the usual protocol for organizing the matches was followed, by holding coordination meetings in the presence of the competent authorities and the company in charge of managing the Mohammed V complex, along with the various stakeholders concerned with organizing the matches, in accordance with the applicable regulatory procedures.

The Elo club's report continued that a large number of people were recorded arriving around the stadium without having tickets or valid subscription cards, which the report estimated at tens of thousands, stressing that this situation had never been recorded on this scale during previous matches.

He added that a number of these people, taking advantage of their large number, deliberately crossed the barriers and forced entry to the stadium, causing chaos.

The club confirmed that these actions caused damage to the stadium’s infrastructure, in addition to their impact on the club’s image and financial resources.

At the conclusion of the statement, Raja called on the fans to go to the stadium in the future only if they have a ticket or a valid participation card. He also called on people who do not have that not to go to the vicinity of the stadium, as this influx may have a negative impact on the safety of the fans and the organization of matches, reiterating his pride in his fans, which he considered to be the team’s first support.