The meeting between the National Professional Football League (LNFP) and the presidents of clubs from both Botola divisions was particularly tense on Monday, August 17. At the center of the discussions was a proposal to expand both the first and second divisions to 20 clubs, which led to a vote that fell short of unanimity.
According to information obtained by Le360 Sport from multiple sources, 17 clubs voted in favor of increasing the number of teams to 20, while seven voted against and three abstained.
The proposal therefore secured a majority among the clubs that took part in the vote, but not the consensus sought for a reform that would significantly change the format of both professional divisions.
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The lack of unanimity could also affect the next stage of the process. According to the same sources, the proposal could not move forward to the next stage, namely consideration by the Executive Committee of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), without the unanimous support of the clubs concerned.
As things stand, the 17 votes in favor would therefore not be enough for the LNFP to submit the proposal to the Federation’s Executive Committee and continue the process.
The issue is particularly important because the LNFP does not have the authority on its own to change the number of clubs set out in the federation’s regulations. The FRMF competition regulations currently set the maximum number of clubs in both Botola Pro D1 and D2 at 16. Any change to the format must therefore go beyond the League’s own authority.
The FRMF statutes give its Executive Committee the power to establish the Federation’s general regulations and assign it responsibility for overseeing and monitoring national competitions.
The move to 20 clubs would also raise a question concerning the statutes. Article 18 of the Federation’s statutes bases representation at the General Assembly on the “sixteen (16) clubs of the professional first division” and also refers to the 16 presidents of D2 clubs. Any changes to these provisions would therefore fall under the authority of the FRMF General Assembly.
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A meeting without consensus
Beyond the procedure, the vote highlights the deep divisions that continue to surround the proposal. With seven votes against and three abstentions, nearly 10 clubs did not support the expansion.
Opponents have questioned the wisdom of increasing the number of participating teams when the league already faces scheduling difficulties, postponed matches, the fragile financial situation of several clubs and growing demands linked to the organization and professionalization of the competitions.
For now, the LNFP has not issued an official statement on the meeting, the voting result or the next steps for the proposal. The central question therefore remains: after a heated meeting and without the unanimity reportedly required to move to the next stage, can the proposal for a 20-team Botola still move forward?
