Ibrahim El Assri Takes Charge of Wydad de Casablanca
Ibrahim El Assri has been officially elected as the new president of Wydad de Casablanca on July 21, 2026, marking a significant leadership change for the club. His election concludes the presidency of Hicham Aït Menna, whose tenure faced increasing scrutiny over both sporting and financial issues. The decision came during an ordinary general assembly convened for the 2025-2026 season, where club members first rejected the financial report submitted by the outgoing committee. This rejection paved the way for the meeting to escalate into an extraordinary assembly, following the resignation of Aït Menna's administration.
In a competitive election with three candidates—El Assri, Yassine Saadallah, and Anas Korami—El Assri emerged as the frontrunner in the first round, garnering 62 votes against 43 for Saadallah and 27 for Korami. However, since he did not secure an absolute majority, a second round was necessary where El Assri triumphed with 72 votes, overshadowing Saadallah’s 56 votes. This leadership transition is seen as a potential turning point for Wydad, a club that has been grappling with internal challenges.
Challenges Ahead for El Assri
Taking over from Aït Menna, who was appointed in July 2024 during a tumultuous period following the exit of his predecessor Saïd Naciri amid a drug trafficking scandal, El Assri faces the daunting task of rebuilding the club's reputation. Aït Menna's administration was unable to secure any titles during its tenure, which led to growing dissatisfaction among club members and supporters, culminating in the collective resignation of his management team.
The rejected financial report indicated a surplus of 2.3 million dirhams for the association, reflecting a 38.9% year-on-year increase, alongside total association funds amounting to 59.1 million dirhams, with no financing debts. However, the financial landscape of the sports corporation presents a more concerning picture, with commitments totaling 115.8 million dirhams, including nearly 41 million owed to other clubs for player transfers—a staggering increase of 138% over the past year—and 30.75 million dirhams owed to staff, which includes 18.8 million in signing bonuses. Notably, 28.2 million dirhams of the debts to clubs are entangled in ongoing legal disputes with FIFA or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), involving teams such as Fluminense, FC Lugano, Rodez, and FC Sevilla.
As El Assri steps into his new role, he must focus on rebuilding trust within the club’s community, clarifying the financial situation of the sports corporation, and swiftly finalizing the technical team and player roster as the new season approaches.
As reported by h24info.ma.
