Zmarat Levels "Serious" Accusations Against Redouane Jiyed, Alleges "Phone Interventions" from Home and VAR Control During Matches

In a striking statement, national coach Abdelwahed Zmarat, who recently resigned from his position at Ittihad Touarga, revealed "external interventions" that he claims influenced referee decisions during his team's matches in the Professional League.

Zmarat stated: "My statement after the Nahdat Zemamra match was not made in a vacuum or solely based on the game's outcome. It was based on accurate information, as the errors have become deliberate, not merely refereeing judgments."

He added: "In the match against Maghreb Fez, there was a clear penalty. The central referee was close to the incident and awarded a penalty kick. However, to my surprise, VAR contacted him and informed him that the incident was outside the penalty area, without the referee even taking the time to review the situation himself."

Zmarat clarified that his club records matches live and that he was aware of the footage, stating: "When I approached the referee to review the incident, the VAR official told me it was outside the box. Furthermore, the Director of Refereeing, Redouane Jiyed, called them by phone during the match and confirmed that the foul was outside the penalty area. The referee even showed me the phone number."

Zmarat concluded: "What I stated did not come from nowhere; it came directly from the match referee himself. Redouane Jiyed monitors the game from his home, perhaps with good intentions to try and assist young referees, but a person from outside the VAR room cannot control decisions."