"The Rabat riots" impose punitive measures .. and clubs are called to take responsibility.

The National Professional Football League did not delay in responding to the riots that accompanied the match between Raja Casablanca and the Royal Army in the city of Rabat. Yesterday, Friday, it announced a series of measures that included banning the travel of visiting fans during the upcoming phase, with no designated stands or spaces for the visiting team's supporters, in addition to halting the sale of tickets intended for the visiting teams' fans.

The league justified these measures by stating, "to ensure the normal course of competitions and to enhance safety and security conditions within the stadiums, which guarantees the protection of all components of the game and preserves the sporting atmosphere."

Sports experts indicated that "these measures were expected, given the severity of the events that took place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat," explaining that "banning the travel of sports fans during the upcoming phase, in particular, would ensure that the remaining competitions proceed in a normal and regular atmosphere."

In this regard, Mohamed Touijar, a sports journalist, confirmed that "such measures were anticipated, considering the shock of the incident; there was a prevailing belief that we could put stadium riots behind us, only to be surprised by a group of individuals operating outside the Moroccan timeline that is trying to keep pace with international developments."

Touijar added, in a statement to Hespress, that "the decisions were appropriate, pending the judicial process as well, especially since about 136 individuals are currently in provisional detention," and he continued: "We hope that we all learn lessons, as Britain was once a bad example in stadium riots, but the enforcement of the law contributed to stabilizing the situation there."

The speaker clarified that "clubs and factions in Morocco must take responsibility in this regard, as we have followed the extent of the exchanges between the fans of both teams on digital platforms for a whole week before the match."

Touijar emphasized that "the measures taken, including the ban on the travel of the visiting team's fans, could help regulate matters during the remainder of the current football season, as most riot problems arise from the movement of fans between cities, especially those with sensitivities and accumulated tensions," and he pointed out that "the decisions were timely and the response to the event was also swift."

For his part, Abdel Aziz Belghiti, a critic and sports analyst, explained that the decisions made by the relevant authorities, including the ban on fan travel during the remainder of the current football season, "came to emphasize the need for strictness in dealing with what happened at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat."