Four Raja players threaten to leave amid disputes over Rogerio Matias’ policy

Four players at Raja Club Athletic are involved in disputes with sporting director Rogerio Matias over sporting and financial matters, with discussions reportedly being considered over ending their contracts.

The players include Ismail Moghaddam, Ayman Barquq, Mohamed Al-Makaazi and Adam Al-Nafati

According to information gathered, the club is moving towards holding meetings with the four players to discuss the possibility of ending their association with Raja.

The disputes have raised concerns about the management of the club’s squad and the impact of Matias’ approach to sporting and contractual matters.

Moghaddam seeks contract termination

Defender Ismail Moghaddam is among the most prominent players affected by the situation.

During his contract negotiations with Raja last season, under the presidency of Jawad El-Zayat, it was agreed that he would not receive a financial signing bonus in the second year of his contract. The agreement instead included a clause linked to productivity.

However, Moghaddam’s situation at the beginning of the current season has caused dissatisfaction, with the defender absent from the starting line-up and spending time on the substitutes’ bench.

His sporting situation, combined with the financial terms of his contract, reportedly prompted him to request its termination before it expires.

Ayman Barquq, Mohamed Al-Makaazi and Adam Al-Nafati have also entered into disputes with Matias over sporting and financial issues.

Matias’ approach comes under scrutiny

Raja announced the appointment of Portuguese executive Rogerio Matias as sporting director last July.

His responsibilities include overseeing the club’s sporting vision, managing recruitment and planning for the future. The project is based on distributing responsibilities across several areas, including coaching, scouting, data analysis and performance.

However, his approach has reportedly contributed to tensions within the club, including with Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi, who left the team early despite positive results during the previous season.

Raja had been close to finishing the league campaign in second place, but its pursuit of a qualifying position for the African Champions League became more complicated, according to the report, because of refereeing errors.

Raja face challenge to maintain stability

The disputes present Raja’s management with the challenge of resolving several contractual situations early in the season while maintaining squad stability.

Questions have also emerged over whether Matias’ sporting project can balance financial management with the team’s competitive needs.

The club faces pressure to reach clear agreements with the players involved and address contracts that, according to the report, have yet to provide an addition to the squad at the start of the current season.