Osian Roberts’ task of putting together a new coaching staff at the Moroccan football federation, just took a new turn, as imitation of documents stain hiring process.
Since he started the job as new technical director, Welshman Osian Roberts has been working hard to assemble a completely new coaching staff for all of Morocco’s youth national teams, as well as directors of several departments.
Following thousands of applications, he arranged interviews in November, before putting a few selected through various oral and practical tests the following month. We now know roughly who will take care of the different national teams, with the likes of Bernard Simondi, Badr El Kaddouri, Zakaria Aboub and Rachid Rokki among the chosen ones. Former Sporting coach, João Aroso, will lead the Under 20’s, with the French-Moroccan Jamal Alioui by his side. But it was another Portuguese who was initially set to take charge.
A man by the name of Ricardo Pereira, previously managing in Swiss lower leagues, sent in an impressive CV and performed well at tests. But after being handed the job, it was later found out that Pereira, who only recently coached in the youth department of FC Luzern, had forged his documents upon application. This did not sit well within the federation, as the 40-year-old’s actual qualifications were nowhere near the standards required. According to our sources, Roberts was consequently forced to dismiss Pereira and instead bring in the previously mentioned Aroso to the limelight.
The national technical department are set to announce the appointed group of coaches in due course, after a scheduled meeting on Wednesday, with Roberts, FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa and the new staff.
Maghrib Foot 