THE BROTHER of Abdelhak Nouri has revealed that the former Ajax starlet is able to show emotions in a health update to the club’s fans.
Nouri was 20 years old when he experienced a cardiac arrest during a friendly with Werder Bremen in 2017.
The youngster was flown to hospital but tragically suffered brain damage as a result of the incident, and spent a year in a coma.
He returned home to live under the care of his family in 2020.
Now his brother Abderrahim has given an update on the 28-year-old’s condition, revealing that he is able to show emotions and even still has his classic sense of humour.
He spoke to Ajax ahead of their match with Excelsior on Saturday, which will be dedicated to the Nouri Foundation, a charity set up to raise awareness around cases like Nouri’s.
He said: “I can reassure you that he shows conscious emotions, he often laughs, and he is happy.
“He also shows less pleasant emotions, which is normal, of course, but he is doing well.
“[He expresses himself] In his own way. At some point you also learn other signals.
“For example his eyebrows or his body language when he moves something for us.”
Nouri was born in Amsterdam and joined Ajax when he was just eight years old.
He worked his way up to the fringes of the first team, and also represented the Netherlands at youth international level.
‘Appie,’ as he was known, was a beloved figure at the club, coming through the ranks alongside stars like Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek.
“The people who know him know what I mean. He still has the same humour and laughs at the same jokes.
“That in his situation he can still laugh with us and still thinks things are funny, that makes me smile.”
“Sometimes I see videos of him talking and making jokes. It’s hard to watch but we’re thankful. We are happy he is still with us.
Nouri’s care is paid for by Ajax after the club reached a settlement with his family in 2022.
The club retired Nouri’s number 34 after his collapse, and gives out the Abdelhak Nouri trophy annually to the best talent from their academy.
“I dare to say that if we didn’t have our faith, we would have ended things a long time ago, but that’s not how we look at life.”
“This is a test for us, and we believe that we will be able to see him in good health again in paradise.”
Nouri’s ordeal has clearly left a lasting impact on those around him.
Multiple players who appeared alongside him went on to wear the 34 at their next club in honour of him, including Bournemouth star Justin Kluivert, who wore the number in his first season with Italian giants Roma.
While his legacy also lives on in the work of the Nouri Foundation, who are working on educating people on what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest, as well as funding the placement of AEDs (defibrillators) in public areas to help ensure people get the care they need as quickly as possible.
