Is Algerian footballer Bouzok leaving Raja after jersey controversy ?

After he refused to wear the Raja Club Athletic jersey, which features the map of Morocco incorporating the Sahara, Algerian player Yousri Bouzok has «recently made a formal request to terminate his contract with the club for family reasons», reports an Algerian media outlet on Thursday, November 28.

«This decision comes after the death of his father last summer, a tragic event that turned his personal life upside down and profoundly affected his vision of the future (...) The loss of a close relative gave rise to an urgent need for family closeness, to the point of calling into question his professional career in Morocco», explains the same source.

Bouzok's desire to leave Raja is reminiscent of the case of former WAC defender Djamel Benlamri. In January 2023, as the Reds were preparing for the Club World Cup in Morocco, he justified his request to leave the Casablanca club by citing «his desire to settle personal affairs in Algeria». A few weeks after terminating his contract with WAC, he signed with Al Wasl in the United Arab Emirates.