Badr Banoun Clarifies His Comments and Apologizes to Olympic Safi Fans

Morocco international Badr Banoun, the Raja defender, has issued an official statement regarding the controversy surrounding the video that went viral after the derby, which showed him alongside player Abdelghafour Lamirat.

Through his official Instagram account, Banoun confirmed that he was surprised by the interpretations attached to the video, pointing out that the conversation between him and Lamirat was related to a previous misunderstanding dating back to when the latter wore the Olympic Safi shirt, and that he had no intention of offending or belittling the club or its fans.

The player stressed his great respect for Olympic Safi and all of its members, emphasizing that his relationship with every Moroccan club is based on mutual respect and the spirit of sporting competition, while denying that he had ever disrespected any team or city in the past.

In a move to calm the situation, Banoun offered his sincere apologies in case his words were misunderstood or caused offense to any of the people of the city of Safi, affirming his commitment to maintaining good relations with the various components of national football.

The Raja defender also announced that he had begun taking legal action against certain individuals and pages that had crossed the boundaries of sporting criticism, going as far as insulting and defaming his family by posting images and comments that he described as unacceptable.

This clarification comes amid a state of controversy that followed the derby, which left mixed reactions across national football circles.