Olympic Club of Safi president, Abdelkader El Fathi, has categorically denied recent reports claiming that the club’s player, Zakaria Farhani, refused to wear the Moroccan national team jersey.
In exclusive statements, El Fathi clarified the sequence of events, stating that the issue arose during the team’s preparations for a match in the Moroccan Throne Cup. “The player, Zakaria Farhani, did not refuse to wear the Moroccan flag on his jersey,” El Fathi asserted. “What happened is that the player received the jersey from the equipment manager and noticed the flag was missing. He immediately informed the manager, who then provided him with a correct jersey featuring the flag, which Farhani wore without any objection.”
El Fathi placed the blame for the controversy on what he described as “certain parties who do not wish the club well,” suggesting they were behind the spread of the false news. He emphasized that the player’s conduct was professional throughout the incident and that he showed full respect for the national emblem.
The president confirmed that the club has officially addressed the Moroccan Royal Football Federation regarding the matter to set the record straight and put an end to the circulating rumors. He expressed his regret over the damage caused to both the player’s reputation and the club’s image due to what he termed “fabricated news.”
El Fathi concluded by reaffirming Olympic Safi’s unwavering commitment to national symbols and its role in developing Moroccan football talent, stressing that the club would never tolerate any disrespect toward the nation’s flag.
