Ittihad Yacoub Al Mansour Protests Refereeing Decisions Against Fath, Calls for Urgent Investigation
Ittihad Yaacoub El Mansour Club issued a strongly-worded protest statement, expressing its condemnation of what it described as "refereeing farces" during its 3-1 defeat to Fath Sportif. The match, part of Week 15 of the Professional League, also saw the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology malfunction for an extended period.
The club's management committee affirmed that the team has suffered from recurring refereeing errors since the start of the Professional League season. It highlighted that the incidents in the Fath Sportif match represent a new chapter in a series of decisions that the club believes have directly impacted its results and trajectory in the domestic competition.
The statement further explained that what most surprised club officials was the VAR system's malfunction for approximately 35 minutes of the match, without any prior explanation. The club considered this a scene unfitting for the level of national football, which has achieved significant sporting and institutional development in recent years.
Ittihad Yaacoub El Mansour stated that the team's treatment cannot be explained merely as ordinary refereeing errors, which are part of the game. Instead, the club described the situation as "repeated injustice" that raises many questions about the integrity of certain refereeing decisions and their impact on the principle of equal opportunities among clubs.
In this context, the club called for an urgent and thorough investigation by the competent authorities to ascertain the reasons behind the VAR malfunction during the match, as well as to review the refereeing incidents that the team deems unfair.
The club also appealed to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), the National Professional Football League, and the National Refereeing Directorate for urgent intervention to restore the team's rights and to take measures to ensure such incidents are not repeated in future matches.
The same statement confirmed that Ittihad Yaacoub El Mansour's management is preparing a comprehensive file containing all refereeing incidents deemed unjust by the team since the beginning of the season. This file will be submitted to the supervisory authorities, alongside a press conference to inform the national public and media about the details of what the club termed a "refereeing farce."
The club concluded its statement by asserting that it will not stand idly by in the face of what it called "sports assassination." It emphasized its determination to defend its rights and interests through all available legal means, in order to preserve the efforts of its players and technical staff and its ambitions to compete in the first division.
