On Sunday, Moroccan police arrested 18 football fans, including two minors, suspected of being involved in rioting during a local championship match between the Royal Army and Olympique Khouribga, in a new incident of rioting that has taken place during tournament matches in recent months.
The police said in a statement on Sunday that the suspects were arrested “because of some skirmishes” during the match, which took place on Saturday at the Phosphate Stadium in Khouribga (east of Casablanca), and “which developed into a throwing of stones that left 12 members of the law enforcement forces injured and bruised.” .
She indicated that a judicial search was conducted “to uncover all criminal acts attributed to those concerned.” While no material losses or injuries were announced among the fans.
The match ended with the defeat of the host team (0-2), against the FAR, which leads the league after 12 rounds.
Over the past months, Moroccan police have announced several separate incidents of arrests of fans suspected of being involved in riots.
And while the Moroccan Federation announced in its latest statements on the matter, on Tuesday, penalties, ranging from holding matches without an audience or preventing fans from moving outside the field and financial fines, against several clubs, due to riots or the use of artificial meteors in the stands.
Last season witnessed sporadic riots, the most violent of which was in the capital, Rabat, in mid-March, after the FAR and Morocco Fassi match in the local cup (Throne Cup) competitions. As a result, 160 fans were arrested, 70 of whom were referred to court.
While two fans were killed in 2016 due to violence, the authorities decided to dissolve ultras (fan groups) and banned any private slogans or banners in the stadiums, before allowing them to return in 2018.
