How far is Wydad Casablanca willing to push its standoff with Hakim Ziyech? The Moroccan international showed up for training at the Mohamed Benjelloun complex accompanied by a court bailiff, escalating a dispute with the club’s new leadership that has moved well beyond a simple financial disagreement.
The conflict began when Wydad’s presidency asked Ziyech to accept a reduction in what it considers an excessive salary. The player has flatly refused, insisting on full respect of the contract he signed with the Casablanca club, which runs through 30 June 2027. Since then, his position within the squad has steadily weakened.
He was pulled from the matchday group for a friendly against Renaissance Zemamra shortly after warm-ups had already started, on direct instruction from the club’s leadership, and he was subsequently left out of the squad for a training camp in Agadir.
The bailiff’s presence at training was intended to formally document Ziyech’s arrival on time and the conditions under which he was being asked to train. According to reports, the judicial officer recorded individual sessions with no technical staff present to supervise, only a physical trainer offering theoretical oversight.
The move is widely seen as a legal escalation, aimed at building a case file should the dispute end up in front of a labor tribunal or force a strict contractual settlement.
Ziyech’s camp has raised several complaints about the training setup imposed on him. The sessions reportedly take place on an artificial surface rather than natural grass, which his side considers unsuitable for a player of his level.
There is also no full support staff on hand, with no physiotherapist or medical personnel present alongside the physical trainer. Daily schedules have allegedly arrived late, sometimes overnight, leaving little time to prepare.
The situation has developed gradually. Ziyech initially remained involved with the squad, featuring in a preparation match against Ittihad Tanger.
Tensions surfaced earlier under new coach Paulo Sergio, when the player left a session following a disagreement with the medical staff’s methods before working alone in the gym. His exclusion from the Zemamra friendly, confirmed to him directly by the coach, marked the clearest sign yet that his Wydad future is now in serious doubt.
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