Trouble brewing in the circus: on football, religion and politics in Morocco

Over the last twenty years the ultras phenomenon has emerged in Morocco, organizing fanatical support for football teams, but also expressing social and political protest. Here we seek to close in on an understanding of the socio-political role of the Moroccan ultras, seeking to situate them in relation to the dominant power of the makhzen, the royal court and its allied power elite, as well as to the major oppositional trend of Islamism. Should the ultras be considered a political movement? What potential does it have as an expression of opposition to the current order of things? The article is based on several types of sources: Moroccan newspapers, websites belonging to political movements, Ultras’ Facebook pages, interviews with ultras members, and observations during 2023 at matches and in Rabat neighbourhoods. Additionally during 2021–2024, Hamza Elkoundi conducted a survey of members of 23 ultras groups, receiving 961 valid responses.