The realm of sports in any contemporary nation oscillates between reflecting the health and psychological and physical well-being of its citizens and serving as a hollow spectacle used to polish political façades, distracting the populace from pressing issues of neglect and marginalization. When we scrutinize the Moroccan football scene through an objective analytical lens, encompassing various levels and categories—from men's and women's teams to youth divisions—we encounter a stark paradox and a shocking reality: billions of dirhams invested, globally recognized infrastructure, and a prestigious institution such as the Royal Academy of Football, accompanied by relentless media propaganda exaggerating "paper achievements." Yet, the actual sporting results on the field remain modest, lackluster, and below expectations, especially when compared to the enormous expenditure.
This glaring contradiction cannot merely be interpreted as transient technical mishaps; it reflects a structural ailment that has plagued the entire royal system for years. This ailment is characterized by prioritizing appearances over substance, focusing on superficial projects rather than committing to meaningful and deep investments in human development.
Real Training Systems in Sports
The official narrative propagated in Morocco continues to deceive the public with the illusion of a "great sports renaissance," relying on images of luxurious stadiums and massive facilities being constructed at a feverish pace in preparation for major continental and international events such as the 2030 World Cup. However, the on-the-ground reality consistently contradicts this narrative. Moroccan football teams across all categories, including men, women, and youth, often falter when faced with serious competitions that demand a complete football personality and tactical and physical maturity that cannot be purchased with money alone or created by erecting concrete walls.
The root cause of this systemic failure lies in the absence of good governance, a lack of accountability, and the marginalization of genuine talent in favor of nepotism and higher loyalties. Despite the material resources allocated to the Royal Football School and other training centers, these institutions remain isolated from the true social and educational environment. They do not produce balanced sporting citizens; rather, they attempt to manufacture a fast-deteriorating spectacle. When equity in opportunities is absent in youth categories, favoritism dominates talent selection, and local grassroots competitions are neglected, international failure becomes a natural and inevitable outcome of a system built on quicksand.
Moreover, the lack of genuine competition in the local league and the absence of foundational structures in popular neighborhoods—representing the primary source of innate talent—further widen the gap. Moroccan children in vulnerable areas often lack access to suitable fields to exercise their basic rights to sports, while billions are spent on an elitist closed academy that serves only the purposes of official propaganda before international organizations.
The Dominance of Facade Logic and Institutional Absence
Dissecting this sporting failure inevitably leads us to confront a larger political dysfunction: the absence of real institutions that hold accountable, plan, and correct the course. In the Kingdom of Morocco, there are no national strategies emerging from societal discussions or genuine economic and social feasibility studies. Instead, there exists an absolute individual decision-maker who controls all the strings of the game without rivals or oversight.
When decision-making is monopolized and free voices, along with economic and sports experts, are silenced, the culture of evaluating public policies disappears. No one dares to question failure; no one can assert that billion-dirham stadiums will feed a hungry child, provide a bed in a dilapidated public hospital, or repair a crumbling educational system. Major projects, whether sports-related to the World Cup or economically connected to façade infrastructures, are not designed to meet the urgent needs of the Moroccan populace but to serve political and promotional agendas directed abroad to reinforce a false narrative of "progress."
The absence of true institutional democracy transforms major projects into an "opiate" presented to the public to divert attention from explosive structural crises. Football associations, parliament, and government become mere tools for executing top-down directives and applauding every initiative, regardless of its devastating social costs.
The marginalization of the Moroccan citizen in the sports sector naturally extends to their political and social sidelining. Since the Alaouites ascended to power after the fall of the Saadian state in 1666, a perception of condescension and ignorance towards the "citizen" has taken root in the imagination of the state apparatus. The citizen is viewed as a mere consumer of rhetoric and slogans, incapable of recognizing their own interests, and is expected to constantly applaud and express gratitude for any crumbs thrown their way.
This condescending view has been vividly demonstrated in the handling of living crises; instead of investing in health, education, and combating unemployment, vast sums are poured into matches, festivals, and superficial facades to distract the public and numb their collective consciousness. However, the collective awareness of Moroccan youth is gradually liberating itself from the shackles of fear and guardianship, surpassing the limits of official propaganda that seeks to convince them that building football stadiums compensates for the hell of marginalization, poverty, and existential oppression.
The entrenchment of a culture of "citizenship" rather than "subjecthood" naturally produces oppressed communities incapable of true creativity, as sports, artistic, and scientific innovation require freedom, dignity, and psychological and social security—elements utterly absent in an environment where voices are suppressed and basic human rights are trampled.
The recent social explosion, exemplified by the phenomenon of "mass escape" during the Throne Speech at the end of July last year, along with prior peaceful protests led by the promising youth of the "212 Generation," is a natural and justified reaction to the absence of horizons and the crushing of Moroccan dignity. This generation has precisely pinpointed the true wound; these young individuals have emerged to unequivocally reject the barter of their health, education, and future for organizing grand events and superficial matches that offer no real sustenance. They demand quality public education, equipped hospitals, genuine employment, and social justice, while the state's response has been the usual security crackdown, suppressing free voices, and imprisoning hundreds of the nation’s finest youth simply for asserting their natural right to a decent life on their land.
The mass migration of youth via death boats or overland and maritime routes, continuous protests, and a state of silent discontent are all compelling indicators that the "subject" has reached a point of no return in rejecting a developmental model that idolizes stone and despises humans—a model that accurately adheres to the popular wisdom: "You may be decorated on the outside, but how are you on the inside?"
The continuation of this approach to managing public and sports affairs places the country at dangerous crossroads and an uncertain future. An excessive focus on superficial facades creates a fragile social and economic bubble that can burst at any moment. When major projects lack genuine feasibility studies that incorporate social and human dimensions, they become additional debt burdens that weigh heavily on future generations without providing any real added value to the ordinary citizen facing rising living costs and deteriorating essential services.
Sports, particularly football, as a fundamental human right and a realm for instilling values of fair competition and equal opportunities, have also transformed into a field of rent-seeking and promotional facades. Clubs and sports federations are managed based on loyalties rather than competencies. This explains the continuous decline of teams and national selections in various international arenas, despite the enormous budgets allocated. Championships cannot be won solely with money or luxurious stadiums; rather, they are built through the accumulation of experiences, institutional independence, respect for competencies, and providing a healthy environment for youth to develop their skills freely and with dignity.
As reported by echoroukonline.com.
