Botola

The Botola Pro 1 (Arabic: البطولة‎), is a Moroccan professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Moroccan football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Football League.

Botola
Botola logo after 2019 redesign ('Maroc Telecom' no longer included in logo).
Founded1956
CountryMorocco
ConfederationCAF
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toBotola 2
Domestic cup(s)Coupe du Trône
International cup(s)Champions League
Confederation Cup
Current championsWydad Casablanca (20) 2018–19
Most championshipsWydad Casablanca (20)
TV partnersAl Aoula, Arryadiya,
2M TV, BeIN Sports
2019–20 Botola

From 2015 to 2019, the league was called Botola Maroc Telecom for sponsorship reasons.

The Botola Pro 1 is a corporation in which the 16 member clubs act as shareholders, Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 30 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away) totalling 214 matches in the season. Most games are played in the afternoons of Saturdays and Sundays, the other games during weekday evenings. It is sponsored by Maroc Télécom and thus known as the Botola-Ittisalat. Outside England.

The competition formed as the FRFM on 20 February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the Botola Pro to break away from the UNAF, which had been founded in 1911, and take advantage of a lucrative television rights deal. This deal is worth MAD 55 million a year domestically as of 2015–16, with Arryadia securing the domestic rights to broadcast games respectively. The league generates MAD 123 million per year in domestic and international television rights.

The Botola Pro is the most-watched football league in Africa, broadcasts in 153 territories to 54 million homes and a potential TV audience of 2 billion people. In the 2010–11 season, the average Botola Pro match attendance was 25,363, the highest of any professional football league in Africa, and stadium occupancy was 92% capacity. The Premier League ranked second in the CAF 5-Zaers of leagues based on performances in African competitions over the last five years.

Of the 16 clubs to have competed since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, five have won the title: Wydad Athletic Club (20), Association Sportive des FAR (12), Raja de Casablanca (11), Magreb Fez (4) and Hašania Agadir (2). The current champions are Wydad Athletic Club, who won the title in 2018–19. ° On 5 June 2016 FUS Rabat won the football championship for the first time after being runner-up to the title for 5 previous times.[1]

History
Botola trophy

The first edition of the Moroccan Football League under the Royal Moroccan Football Federation took place in 1956–57, soon after Morocco became an independent country.

Competition

Each year 16 teams compete for the championship. The two lowest-placed teams are relegated to Botola Elite 2 and the top two teams from Botola Elite 2 are promoted in their place to Botola Pro.

Champion and runner-up participate in the African Champions League. The third-place team and Coupe du Trône winner qualify to participate in the African Confederation Cup.

Sponsorship

Since 2000, Maroc Telecom has been the official sponsor of the Botola for a 15 million dirham per year contract.

Broadcasting rights

In September 2007, the SNRT Group (Al Aoula, 2M TV and Arryadia) paid 225 million dirhams for the rights to broadcast the following three seasons of the Botola.[2]

Throughout the week, every game played in the Botola is broadcast live by at least one TV channel.

BeIN Sports network also broadcasts a few matches every week.

Clubs

The most popular Moroccan clubs are Wydad Casablanca, AS FAR, and Raja Casablanca. Other historically established sides include CODM Meknes, KAC Kenitra , Maghreb Fès, Moghreb Tétouan, Fath Rabat, and Kawkab Marrakech.

Stadiums

Current stadiums
Rabat Casablanca Marrakech Agadir
Stade Moulay Abdellah Stade Mohamed V Stade de Marrakech Stade Adrar
Capacity: 53,000 Capacity: 67,000 Capacity: 45,000 Capacity: 45,000
Fes Tanger Oujda El Aaiún
Fez Stadium Stade de Tanger Honneur Stadium Stade Cheikh Laaghdef
Capacity: 45,000 Capacity: 45,000 Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 30,000
Meknes Kénitra Al Hoceima Tétouan
Stade d'Honneur Stade Municipal de Kénitra Stade Mimoun Al Arsi Stade Saniat Rmel
Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 15,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 12,000
Safi El Jadida Berkane Khouribga
Stade El Massira Stade El Abdi Stade Municipal De Berkane Complexe OCP
Capacity: 15,000 Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 10,000

List of champions
SeasonChampionRunner-up
1956–57Wydad CasablancaKawkab Marrakech
1957–58Kawkab MarrakechWydad Casablanca
1958–59Étoile de CasablancaWydad Casablanca
1959–60KAC KenitraAS FAR
1960–61AS FARMaghreb Fez
1961–62AS FARRacing de Casablanca
1962–63AS FARKawkab Marrakech
1963–64AS FARStade Marocain
1964–65Maghreb FezRacing de Casablanca
1965–66Wydad CasablancaRaja Casablanca
1966–67AS FARRenaissance de Settat
1967–68AS FARRenaissance de Settat
1968–69Wydad CasablancaMaghreb Fez
1969–70AS FARUnion Sidi Kacem
1970–71Renaissance de SettatAS FAR
1971–72Racing de CasablancaWydad Casablanca
1972–73KAC KenitraFUS Rabat
1973–74Raja de Beni MellalRaja Casablanca
1974–75Mouloudia OujdaMaghreb Fez
1975–76Wydad CasablancaDifaa El Jadida
1976–77Wydad CasablancaMouloudia Oujda
1977–78Wydad CasablancaMaghreb Fez
1978–79Maghreb FezKAC Kenitra
1979–80Chabab MohammédiaWydad Casablanca
1980–81KAC KenitraFUS Rabat
1981–82KAC KenitraWydad Casablanca
1982–83Maghreb FezRenaissance de Berkane
1983–84AS FAROlympique Khouribga
1984–85Maghreb FezKAC Kenitra
1985–86Wydad CasablancaRaja Casablanca
1986–87AS FARKawkab Marrakech
1987–88Raja CasablancaKawkab Marrakech
1988–89AS FARMaghreb Fez
1989–90Wydad CasablancaIR Tanger
1990–91Wydad CasablancaAS FAR
1991–92Kawkab MarrakechRaja Casablanca
1992–93Wydad CasablancaRaja Casablanca
1993–94Olympique de CasablancaWydad Casablanca
1994–95CODM de MeknèsOlympique de Casablanca
1995–96Raja CasablancaOlympique Khouribga
1996–97Raja CasablancaWydad Casablanca
1997–98Raja CasablancaKawkab Marrakech
1998–99Raja CasablancaKawkab Marrakech
1999–00Raja CasablancaWydad Casablanca
2000–01Raja CasablancaFUS Rabat
2001–02Hassania AgadirWydad Casablanca
2002–03Hassania AgadirRaja Casablanca
2003–04Raja CasablancaAS FAR
2004–05AS FARRaja Casablanca
2005–06Wydad CasablancaAS FAR
2006–07Olympique KhouribgaAS FAR
2007–08AS FARIZK Khemisset
2008–09Raja CasablancaDifaa El Jadida
2009–10Wydad CasablancaRaja Casablanca
2010–11Raja CasablancaMaghreb Fez
2011–12Moghreb TétouanFUS Rabat
2012–13Raja CasablancaAS FAR
2013–14Moghreb TétouanRaja Casablanca
2014–15Wydad CasablancaOlympique Khouribga
2015–16FUS RabatWydad Casablanca
2016–17Wydad CasablancaDifaa El Jadida
2017–18IR TangerWydad Casablanca
2018–19Wydad CasablancaRaja Casablanca

Performances

Performance by club
Club Winners Runners-up Winning Seasons
Wydad Casablanca⭐⭐
20
11
 1947-1948, 1948-1949, 1949-1950, 1950-1951, 1954-1955, 1956-1957, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19
AS FAR⭐
12
7
 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1988–89, 2004–05, 2007–08
Raja Casablanca⭐
11
8
 1987–88, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
Maghreb Fez
4
7
 1964–65, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1984–85
KAC Kenitra
4
2
 1959–60, 1972–73, 1980–81, 1981–82
Kawkab Marrakech
2
6
 1957–58, 1991–92
Moghreb Tétouan
2
–
 2011–12, 2013–14
Hassania Agadir
2
1
 2001–02, 2002–03
FUS Rabat
1
5
 2015–16
Olympique Khouribga
1
3
 2006–07
Racing de Casablanca
1
2
 1971–72
Renaissance de Settat
1
2
 1970–71
IR Tanger
1
1
 2017–18
Olympique de Casablanca
1
1
 1993–94
Mouloudia Oujda
1
1
 1974–75
CODM de Meknès
1
–
 1994–95
Chabab Mohammédia
1
–
 1979–80
Raja de Beni Mellal
1
–
 1973–74
Étoile de Casablanca
1
–
 1958–59

Top scorers
Season Player Team Goals
1959-60 Moussa NanouhRaja Casablanca22
1967–68 Hassan ChichaDifaa El Jadida19
1968–69 Ahmed FarasChabab Mohammédia16
1972–73 Ahmed FarasChabab Mohammédia16
1974–75 Hassan ChichaDifaa El Jadida12
1976–77 Mohamed BoussatiKAC Kenitra17
1979–80 Idriss OuadichAS FAR15
1980–81 Mohamed BoussatiKAC Kenitra17
1981–82 Mohamed BoussatiKAC Kenitra25
1982–83 Abdeslam LaghrissiAS FAR14
1983–84 Mjidou
Tmimi		Wydad Casablanca
Mouloudia d'Oujda		11
1984–85 BoushabaRenaissance Berkane13
1985–86 Hassan Nader
Mohammed Chaouch		Wydad Casablanca
Kawkab Marrakech		13
1986–87 Abderrazak KhairiAS FAR12
1987–88 Lahcen AnaflousAS FAR17
1988–89 Hassan NaderWydad Casablanca18
1989–90 Abdeslam LaghrissiAS FAR22
1990–91 Lahcen AnaflousAS FAR15
1991–92 Lahcen AnaflousAS FAR11
1992–93 Youssef FertoutWydad Casablanca18
1993–94 Ahmed BahjaKawkab Marrakech14
1994–95 Abdeslam LaghrissiAS FAR15
1995–96 SoufirJeunesse El Massira16
1996–97 AnaneAS Salé17
1997–98 Rachid RokkiChabab Mohammédia15
1998–99 ZouineOlympique Khouribga16
1999–00 Mustapha BidoudaneFUS Rabat17
2000–01 Samir SarsarKawkab Marrakech12
2001–02 Omar ZaouitTihad Sportif Casablanca14
2002–03 Mustapha BidoudaneRaja Casablanca14
2003–04 Mustapha BidoudaneRaja Casablanca13
2004–05 Mohamed ArmoumenAS FAR12
2005–06 Mamadou Ba CamaraOlympique Khouribga9
2006–07 Jawad OuaddouchAS FAR12
2007–08 Abderrazak LamnasfiAS FAR13
2008–09 Mustapha AllaouiAS FAR14
2009–10 Omar HassiWidad Fez12
2010–11 Jawad OuaddouchAS FAR11
2011–12 Karl Max BarthelemyDifaa El Jadida17
2012–13 Abderazak HamdallahOlympic Safi15
2013–14 Zouhaur Naim
Zoumana Kone		Moghreb Tétouan
Hassania Agadir		11
2014–15 Malick EvounaWydad Casablanca16
2015–16 Mahdi NaghmiAS FAR12
2016–17 William JeborWydad Casablanca19
2017–18 Mouhssine IajourRaja Casablanca17
2018-19 Mouhssine Iajour
Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba		Raja Casablanca
RS Berkane		19

See also

References
  1. "LE FUS DE RABAT CHAMPION POUR LA PREMIÈRE FOIS".
  2. La SNRT décroche les droits TV du GNF Archived July 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine www.lavieeco.com
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