King Mohammed VI of Morocco Wednesday relieved sports minister Mohammed Ouzzine of his duties after investigations blamed his ministry for defects exposed during a match in the Club World Cup hosted by the country last month.
The royal court said an official inquiry confirmed "direct political and administrative responsibility" of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and that of the contracting firm for the defects.
The royal court said that after notified of the findings, Ouzzine asked to be relieved of his duties.
"Under article No 47 of the constitution, His Majesty has decided to relieve Mr Mohammed Ouzzine of his post," the court said in a statement.
Last month, heavy rains lashed the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat during the tournament's match between Cruz Azul of Mexico and Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers.
Players waded and slipped through the resulting pools of water.
The problem prompted FIFA in consultation with local organizers to relocate the championship's semi-final to the city of Marrakesh.
The state of the pitch triggered a massive uproar in Morocco and was seen as a national disgrace. Recent renovations in the stadium have cost around 25 million dollars, according to media reports.
At the time, the monarch ordered the government to open an "in-depth and comphensive" investigation into the issue.
The findings have pointed, among other things, to defects in the pitch's water drainage system and shortcomings on the part of the ministry in overseeing the renovations, according to a report quoted by the official Moroccan pss agency MAP.
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