Calls to expand the tournament to 20 teams.

The proposal to increase the number of clubs in the professional national championship to 20 teams has once again imposed itself on the discussion table, after receiving support from several coaches from both the first and second divisions during the preparatory workshop for the 2026-2027 sports season held at the Mohammed VI Football Complex yesterday, Monday.

“Hesport” learned from an informed source that most of the coaches who participated in the meeting expressed their support for the idea of expanding the championship, considering that the current format, which includes 16 teams, no longer meets the requirements for developing national football, whether in terms of competitiveness or providing greater opportunities for players and coaches.

For his part, national coach Ridouane El Himer confirmed in a statement to the newspaper that expanding the first division to 20 clubs would benefit various components of the national championship.

El Himer explained that this expansion would increase the number of official matches and provide local players with a greater opportunity to participate in competitive matches throughout the season, which would contribute to improving their level and bringing the pace of the Moroccan championship closer to European leagues.

The same spokesperson added that the current system does not serve competition as required, pointing out that the relegation of two teams and the play-off matches for two others reduces the intensity of competition; whereas increasing the number of clubs would open the door for more players to engage in the first professional division, as well as provide additional job opportunities for national coaches.

Regarding the call to give more space to young players within clubs, El Himer clarified that coaches face significant pressure related to results; which makes them hesitant to involve emerging talents, especially in light of the frequent changes in technical staff.

In this regard, the national coach pointed out that many clubs tend to change their coaches multiple times during the season; which drives them to seek immediate results instead of investing in young talents.

In a related context, El Himer criticized the increasing number of Portuguese coaches in the professional league, as their number has risen to six for the upcoming season, considering that hiring a foreign coach should be linked to technical value and a distinguished coaching record.

The spokesperson explained to “Hesport” that although Portugal has a strong training base, its top coaches work in the largest European leagues, South America, and the Gulf; while coaches from lower levels “third or fourth division” tend to seek experiences in the Moroccan league.