Ittihad Tanger Condemns Refereeing Decisions, Citing El Wudghiri's Red Card Against Raja

Ittihad Tanger Football Club has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the refereeing decisions that occurred during their match against Raja Athletic. The club indicated its intention to take all necessary measures to protect its rights.

The club's statement read: "Ittihad Tanger Football Club expresses its strong condemnation of the unjust refereeing decisions our team has been subjected to. The most recent incident was the red card shown by the referee to our defender, Bilal El Wudghiri, early in the first half of our match against Raja Athletic, part of Week 13 of the Botola Pro Inwi. This decision lacked proper judgment regarding the spirit of the law and the severity of the challenge."

The statement continued: "This incident was not isolated or fleeting; rather, it is part of a series of refereeing errors that have negatively impacted the team this season, directly affecting match results and the principle of equal opportunities among clubs. We also note with extreme surprise the manner of VAR intervention in this match, under the supervision of referee Abderrahim Errakhiz, especially given his history of controversial decisions in previous matches involving our team. This raises significant questions about the criteria for referee appointments and evaluations."

The club added: "Ittihad Tanger, in defending its legitimate rights, refuses to be party to repeated errors that undermine the credibility of sports competition. We demand that the supervisory authorities launch an urgent and transparent investigation into these refereeing incidents and publish the VAR audio recordings, out of respect for the public's right to know and to uphold the principle of accountability."

The statement concluded: "We also affirm that we will take all legal and procedural measures permitted by law to protect the rights of our club and its fans. Ittihad Tanger has been and will remain a national sports institution that defends the integrity of competition and the image of Moroccan football. We will not, in any way, accept any undermining of fair refereeing or any impact on our sporting trajectory due to unjust decisions."