Assahafa.com
Moroccan author and analyst Samir Bennis has warned of the narrative promoted by Spanish media to portray Morocco negatively amid FIFA and US controversy.
In a social media post, the author said that Spanish media is again engaging “in what has become their favorite pastime: intellectual dishonesty and the systematic distortion of any information related to Morocco in an effort to damage the country’s image.”
Bennis’ remarks came as many Spanish reports pointed to mounting concerns within Spain’s Football Federation over what they claimed was the possibility of US President Donald Trump’s intervention to favor Morocco as the host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup final.
The claims emerged following the recent controversy surrounding Trump’s intervention in FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban.
For Bennis, Spanish media is always on the lookout for any sort of information it can use to point fingers at Morocco.
Bennis said some Spanish outlets rushed to link Morocco to the growing perception that FIFA’s president is vulnerable to political pressure.
“To do so, they found no better argument than to suggest that Trump was pressuring Infantino to award Morocco the right to host the 2030 World Cup final, which will be organized jointly by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal,” the analyst stated.
He emphasized how such a narrative is not an isolated incident, as some Spanish media have historically been quick and eager to portray Morocco in a negative light.
Spain’s debate over the World Cup final in 2030 has been intensifying since Morocco was confirmed as a co-host of the tournament.
Royal Spanish Football Federation President Rafael Louzan publicly voiced concern over Morocco’s rapidly growing sports industry and its increasing ambitions to host the tournament final.
In April, Marca reported that Louzan was confident Spain could secure the final but stressed that Madrid needed to act quickly.
Last year, the President of Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, dismissed reports that Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium had been selected to host the final. The claims, unconfirmed by any official FIFA decision, had been naturally promoted by Spanish figures and media to put pressure on Morocco in the race for hosting the final of the jointly organized footballing showpiece.
Lekjaa emphasized that decisions about hosting cities will be made jointly by the organizing committees of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal in coordination with FIFA.
Learning Spanish to reclaim the narrative high ground
In June, Bennis emphasized the importance of reassessing Morocco’s educational and linguistic priorities, particularly regarding the Spanish language.
Bennis made his remarks at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Mohammedia during an event focused on Morocco-Spain ties.
He argued that Spain’s geographic proximity and historical ties with Morocco make Spanish an essential tool for understanding Spanish society, negotiating effectively, and engaging in media and academic debate.
“We cannot prioritize English while neglecting the Spanish language, especially since Spain, despite being a neighbor with whom we have normal relations, is also a country with which we have recurring issues – this is the nature of neighboring relations. There are always tensions and disagreements,” Bennis said.
The analyst recalled that Spanish is spoken by over 600 million people worldwide, encouraging Moroccans to learn the language to build a coherent counter-narrative to Spanish intellectuals and media’s myopic and distorting view of Morocco.
“We need a coordinated elite of journalists and academics capable of publishing in major Spanish newspapers,” he said, emphasizing the importance of a strategic intellectual and media presence that can strike back and reclaim the narrative initiative from their Spanish counterparts.
Source: Morocco word news
