Moroccan Radio Suspends Journalists Over African Champions League Final Comments

On the grounds of "damaging the country’s image", Radio Mars has decided to suspend without mercy and for an indefinite period, two of its consultants in the persons of Fadel Abdellaoui and Xavier Sanchez. The management of Radio Mars would blame them, according to Telquel, "for comments posted by the latter on social networks where they criticize the appointment of Gambian Bakakry Gassama to referee the second leg of the African Champions League final, to be played between Wydad de Casablanca (WAC) and Espérance Sportive de Tunis (EST) on May 31 in Tunis".

It should be recalled that the first leg of this final played last Friday at the Moulay Abdallah complex in Rabat, ended in a 1-1 draw. For this match, the refereeing led by the Egyptian Jihad Guericha was the subject of strong criticism and was accused by the Moroccan side of having made judgment errors that deprived Wydad of a goal and a penalty. It was then that CAF decided to replace Guericha with Gambian referee Bakary Gassama, who will keep the whistle for the second leg next Friday in Radès.

It is in this atmosphere that the managers of Radio Mars published a press release titled "Radio Mars, there is no place for troublemakers among us", in which the sports radio station, according to the same source, announces that it will take major measures against anyone who "damages the image of the country".

Contacted by Telquel, the CEO of the radio station, Hicham El Khlifi, stated that "the two consultants have been suspended for a date we have not yet defined. We have reacted in accordance with the law. The two consultants did not respect the specifications imposed on them". While Sanchez apologized to the Wydad supporters on his Twitter account, Fadel Abdellaoui, who reportedly received threats from the club’s supporters, preferred to deactivate his.