Morocco’s 20-team league plan stalls as clubs fail to reach consensus

Morocco’s proposal to expand its professional football leagues from 16 to 20 teams has hit a setback after clubs failed to reach the agreement needed to move the project forward.

A marathon meeting between presidents of first- and second-division clubs and officials of the National Professional Football League (LNFP) in Rabat on Monday ended without the required consensus.

The vote produced 17 clubs in favour of the proposed 20-team format, seven against and three abstentions.

Although the proposal secured a majority, the result was not enough to allow the reform to advance to the next stage, which would involve the executive office of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).

Majority vote fails to unlock reform

The outcome underlines the complexity of changing the structure of Moroccan professional football.

The LNFP does not have the authority to independently alter the number of clubs in the country’s two professional divisions. Existing FRMF regulations stipulate that both the first and second divisions consist of 16 teams.

As a result, moving to a 20-team format would require changes to the current regulatory framework.

The lack of wider agreement has therefore left the project at an impasse despite the proposal receiving significantly more votes in favour than against.

Federation rules add to complications

The proposed expansion also faces institutional and legal hurdles within the FRMF’s statutes.

Article 18 of the federation’s regulations links representation at its General Assembly to the existing structure of 16 clubs in each of Morocco’s top two professional divisions.

Any decision to increase the number of clubs to 20 could consequently require changes beyond the LNFP, potentially involving the federation’s General Assembly.

That means the proposal is not simply a matter of changing the league format and would require a broader restructuring of the governing framework.

Moroccan clubs remain divided

The voting figures demonstrate the split among professional clubs over the proposed reform.

The 17 clubs backing the plan believe an expanded league could reshape the country’s professional football structure and provide places for more teams at the top level.

However, seven clubs voted against the proposal while three abstained, meaning 10 clubs did not support it.

For now, those divisions have prevented the project from progressing.

16-team structure remains in place

Further negotiations could still lead to a compromise, with clubs potentially reconsidering their positions in the coming days.

However, the regulatory obstacles will also need to be addressed before the proposal can reach the FRMF’s decision-making bodies.

Until then, Morocco’s professional leagues remain based on the existing 16-team structure, with the future of the proposed 20-team format still uncertain.