Ricardo Sa Pinto has agreed to end his adventure at Raja de Casablanca. During a meeting held this Friday with President Adil Hala, it was agreed that the Portuguese coach terminates his contract, in return for two months' wages.
On his Instagram account, the Portuguese coach sent a long message to announce his departure and assess the current situation of the club.
“Despite the great victory against Union de Touarga and the fact that the next match is against the bottom of the ranking, which we will certainly win to reach the top 3, the time has come to announce a decision that I was thinking about for some time. For personal and professional reasons, I have submitted my resignation from the position of coach of Raja,” wrote Sa Pinto.
“It’s a decision that weighs heavily on me, because I came to this club with one goal: to win titles, especially the Champions League and the championship. However, after deeply evaluating the current situation, it became clear that the necessary conditions to achieve the successes that this great club deserves do not exist,” the coach stressed.
And added: “I thank my president for his efforts and his commitment, as well as my players for their dedication. I wish Raja all the best. Dima Raja.
Sa Pinto decided to jump ship after the match against Union de Touarga, which took place on Thursday. Despite the victory, the team faced harsh criticism from fans who left the stadium immediately after the opposing team's first goal.
“What happened today is not normal. This is the first time I've seen it. My staff and I no longer have the conditions to continue our mission. I cannot accomplish this task alone. I always wanted to enjoy with the supporters. I am a coach who deserves respect. It will be so difficult for me to continue,” confided the coach during the press conference on the sidelines of the meeting.
As a reminder, Raja had recruited Bosnian coach Rusmir Cviko at the start of the season, whose contract was quickly terminated after two consecutive defeats in the league against Renaissance Berkane and Ittihad Tangier. He was replaced by Abdelkrim Jinani, who managed to string together three consecutive victories, before being in turn replaced by the Portuguese Sá Pinto, who, in ten matches, recorded three defeats, six draws and two victories.
H.M.
