Raja Club Athletic and Portuguese coach Ricardo Sá Pinto have reached an agreement to terminate his contract by mutual consent, the club announced today.
Sá Pinto will receive two months’ salary as compensation, sparing the club from paying a hefty MAD 5 million ($500k) penalty clause.
Sá Pinto was appointed on October 8, 2024, but struggled to deliver decent results.
Raja Casablanca President, Adel Hala, has also reached a deal with Yousri Bouzok to leave the club. The Algerian winger agreed to give up part of his unpaid wages to speed up the termination procedures.
During Sà Pinto’s stint at Raja, the team played 11 matches, including eight in the El Botola Pro and three in the African Champions League. But his record was disappointing. Raja has delivered just two wins, five draws, and one loss in the league, and two defeats and a draw in the African competition.
Sá Pinto initially resisted calls to step down. Efforts to end his contract amicably began earlier this week following a meeting with club president Adil Hala which has failed to produce a resolution.
The turning point came in their last match on Thursday against Union Touarga when Raja supporters voiced their frustration. Raja fans staged a peaceful protest, walking out at halftime to express dissatisfaction with the team’s performance and the coach’s leadership.
Speaking after the match, Sá Pinto said, “I will request a meeting with President Hala to discuss my future.” On Friday, both sides agreed to part ways, ending this dreadful tenure with the club.
Raja is now back in the market to find a new coach to bring smiles back to supporters.
This is the second coach Raja has sacked in the 2023-2024 season. Earlier this year, Bosnian coach Rusmir Cviko was dismissed following a 3-1 loss to IR Tanger and another to Berkane in the league opener in the Botola Pro League.
Despite taking Raja to the CAF Champions League group stage by eliminating Ghana’s Samartex with a 4-2 aggregate win, Cviko’s poor domestic start sealed his fate.
Author: Mujuni Henry
JUNIITV
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