The news has become official: Portuguese technician Ricardo Sa Pinto has been appointed, on Thursday, October 10, 2024, as the new coach of Raja Casablanca, the holder of the championship title and the Throne Cup, succeeding Bosnian Rosmir Cevico.
Ricardo Sa Pinto, 52 years old, was officially presented during a ceremony held at the club’s academy, confirming Raja’s ambition to maintain his position as the leader of Moroccan football. Sa Pinto began his coaching career in 2009 as sporting director of Sporting Lisbon, before taking charge of the youth team. His career took a decisive turn in 2012 when he led Sporting Lisbon to the Europa League final. Since then, he has crossed continents, gaining diverse experience managing prestigious clubs such as Red Star Belgrade, Standard Liège, Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia, Vasco da Gama in Brazil, and APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus.
His arrival to Raja comes while Club Casablanca occupies first place in the Moroccan Championship, shared equally with Ittihad Tangier and Ittihad Tawarka, with 9 points.
If the Greens got the season off to a strong start with three wins in the first five days, the two defeats received show a certain fragility that Sa Pinto will have to correct quickly to keep the club in the title race.
Expectations are high, both among fans and the club's management, who hope that the Portuguese coach can instill a new dynamic while building on the club's legendary legacy.
