Rabat – Moroccan international Adam Masina has reportedly decided to retire from professional football at 32, with Italian Club Progresso Calcio confirming his appointment to its coaching staff on Tuesday.
The former Torino defender will serve as a technical assistant under newly appointed head coach Francesco Salmi at the Serie D club, which is based in Castel Maggiore, near Bologna.
According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Masina has chosen to end his playing career and pursue coaching after several months without a club.
Progresso confirmed his arrival in an official statement announcing Salmi’s appointment, although the club did not explicitly address the Moroccan defender’s retirement.
The coaching change follows the dismissal of Francesco Cattani after a difficult start to the season. Progresso have suffered five consecutive defeats and currently sit near the bottom of their Serie D group.
Speaking to Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, Progresso general manager Simone Matta explained that Masina’s appointment had been under consideration for some time because the former defender had expressed an interest in pursuing a coaching career.
Back to where it all started
Masina’s new role brings him back to the Bologna area, where he grew up after being born in Khouribga, Morocco, in 1994. He developed through Bologna’s youth academy and helped the club secure promotion to Serie A in 2015 before joining Watford in 2018.
The defender later returned to Italy for spells with Udinese and Torino, where his contract was terminated by mutual agreement in February 2026.
He was part of the Atlas Lions squad that reached the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), held in Morocco between December 2025 and January 2026, and started the final against Senegal in Rabat.
His international career also included appearances during Morocco’s qualifying campaigns and other continental competitions.
Masina’s reported retirement brings an end to a playing career that spanned more than a decade across Italian and English football. His new role at Progresso offers an opportunity to begin developing his coaching experience in a familiar environment.
