Raja suffer major setback as derby against Wydad confirmed behind closed doors

Raja Club Athletic have been dealt a huge blow ahead of their highly anticipated derby clash against Wydad Athletic Club after the Appeals Committee of the National Professional Football League upheld the club’s closed-door sanction.

The decision means Saturday’s Casablanca derby, scheduled for the 20th round of the Moroccan Professional Championship, will officially be played without supporters at the Mohammed V Sports Complex.

Raja officials had reportedly hoped the appeal would lead to a reduction of the punishment to just one match behind closed doors, which would have allowed fans to attend the derby and enabled the club to proceed with ticket sales for one of the biggest fixtures of the season.

However, the appeals committee decided to maintain the disciplinary sanctions, handing the Green Eagles a significant setback both on and off the pitch just days before the crucial encounter.

The impact of the ruling is expected to stretch beyond sporting matters, with Raja now facing major financial losses due to the absence of supporters. The Casablanca derby is traditionally regarded as one of the club’s biggest revenue generating matches because of the massive attendance and commercial activity surrounding the fixture.

Club officials had been counting on derby income to help ease the financial difficulties currently affecting the team’s operations and finances.

The situation follows similar problems during Raja’s recent match against Difaa El Jadida, when the club was forced to refund more than 19,000 tickets already sold to supporters after sanctions linked to crowd trouble during the Green Team’s earlier clash against AS FAR.

The latest development has reportedly raised fears within the club that the continued sanctions could further affect Raja’s financial stability at a critical stage of the season.