The 2026-2027 season of the Moroccan Professional League’s first division is witnessing a notable presence of Portuguese coaching talent, as six out of the sixteen participating clubs have opted to hire Portuguese managers to lead their teams. This trend signifies a growing confidence in Portuguese coaches within Moroccan football, reflecting their increasing influence on the local scene.
Leading the charge is Wydad Athletic Club, under the guidance of Portuguese coach Paulo Sergio. They are joined by the Royal Army Club, coached by Soares Gonçalves, and FUS Rabat with Ricardo Formosinho at the helm. In addition, Portuguese coaches continue to make their mark on the sidelines with Rui Almeida managing Maghreb Fes, Ricardo Chivô at Hassania Agadir, and Jorge Pacheco leading the Meknes Club.
While Portuguese coaches are making significant strides, Moroccan coaches are firmly maintaining their positions. The league features seven Moroccan coaches, including Youssef Safri with Marrakech Club, Hilal Tair with Hassania Agadir, Mehdi Marani Alawi with Renaissance Zemamra, Amin Kermia with Union Touarga, Abdel Rahim Shkilit with Amal Tiznit, Abdel Karim Janani with Moghreb Tetouan, and Abdel Salam Benjloun with Wydad Temara.
In terms of representation from other foreign coaching schools, Pedro Bobista leads Renaissance Berkane as a representative from Cape Verde, while Algerian Abdelhak Benchikha is at the helm of Ittihad Tanger. Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi manages Raja Casablanca, adding to the diversity of coaching styles in the league.
The coaching landscape for the new season showcases a clear variety in coaching schools, with a significant preference for the Portuguese style, which boasts six representatives. This is complemented by seven Moroccan coaches, alongside coaches from Algeria, Tunisia, and Cape Verde. The upcoming competitions will reveal how successful these coaching choices will be in shaping the future of Moroccan football.
Here is the list of coaches for the 16 clubs in the first professional division:
- Wydad Athletic Club: Paulo Sergio 🇵🇹
- Royal Army Club: Soares Gonçalves 🇵🇹
- FUS Rabat: Ricardo Formosinho 🇵🇹
- Maghreb Fes: Rui Almeida 🇵🇹
- Hassania Agadir: Ricardo Chivô 🇵🇹
- Meknes Club: Jorge Pacheco 🇵🇹
- Renaissance Berkane: Pedro Bobista (Cape Verde) 🇨🇻
- Marrakech Club: Youssef Safri 🇲🇦
- Hassania Agadir: Hilal Tair 🇲🇦
- Renaissance Zemamra: Mehdi Marani Alawi 🇲🇦
- Union Touarga: Amin Kermia 🇲🇦
- Amal Tiznit: Abdel Rahim Shkilit 🇲🇦
- Moghreb Tetouan: Abdel Karim Janani 🇲🇦
- Wydad Temara: Abdel Salam Benjloun 🇲🇦
- Ittihad Tanger: Abdelhak Benchikha 🇩🇿
- Raja Casablanca: Nasreddine Nabi 🇹🇳
As reported by alyaoum24.com.
