Abdelhak Nouri facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Abdelhak Nouri | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 April 1997 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2015 | Ajax | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Jong Ajax | 45 | (11) | ||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Ajax | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||
| Total | 54 | (11) | |||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Netherlands U15 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Netherlands U16 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Netherlands U17 | 12 | (5) | ||||||||||
| 2014 | Netherlands U18 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Netherlands U19 | 19 | (9) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||
Abdelhak "Appie" Nouri, born on April 2, 1997, is a former professional football player from the Netherlands. He was a midfielder, often playing as an attacking midfielder or sometimes as a winger.
Appie grew up playing football at the famous Ajax club in the Netherlands. He played for their reserve team and the main team for two years. He also played for the Netherlands national youth teams at different age levels.
In July 2017, when he was 20 years old, Appie collapsed during a friendly match. He had a serious heart problem called cardiac arrhythmia. This caused severe and lasting brain damage, meaning he could no longer play football.
Contents
Early Life and Talent
Appie Nouri was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His family comes from Morocco. He was a very promising young player. In 2014, before he even played his first professional game, The Guardian newspaper named him one of the top 40 young players in the world.
Club Career Highlights
Appie started his football journey in the youth academy at Ajax. He made his first professional appearance for their reserve team, Jong Ajax, on March 13, 2015. This was in a game against VVV Venlo in the Eerste Divisie league. He came into the game in the 78th minute.
On September 21, 2016, Appie played his first official game for the main Ajax team. It was a KNVB Cup match against Willem II, and he even scored a goal! Because of his great performances for Jong Ajax during the 2016–17 season, he won the Player of the Season award. He was then promoted to the first team for the 2017–18 season.
Appie's Collapse and Recovery
On July 8, 2017, Appie Nouri collapsed during a friendly football match. This happened while playing against Werder Bremen. He suffered a serious heart problem called cardiac arrhythmia. He was quickly taken to the hospital by a special helicopter.
A few days later, Ajax announced sad news. Appie had suffered severe and permanent brain damage because of the incident. He was in intensive care. By July 25, 2017, he was out of intensive care and could breathe on his own. However, he would not be able to play football again.
In June 2018, Ajax shared that an investigation found the medical help Appie received on the field was "not good enough." Appie's family then started a legal process against Ajax. They believed that not helping him quickly enough caused his brain damage.
By August 2018, Appie was no longer in a coma. In September 2019, it was confirmed he was still in the hospital. On March 27, 2020, Appie's family announced that he had woken up from his coma. He was able to return home to be with his family and continue his treatment there. Soon after, Ajax ended Appie's contract. They also began discussions with his family about how to support him in the future.
In February 2022, Ajax announced they reached an agreement with Appie's family. The club paid €7.85 million and agreed to cover all his medical bills. Ajax also decided to retire his number 34 jersey. This means no other player at Ajax will wear that number.
In April 2024, Appie's brother, Abderrahim, shared an update. He said Appie was "awake" but still "isn't his old self."
Tributes to Appie
After Appie Nouri's football career ended, many tributes were made to honor him. These tributes came from inside and outside the world of football.
- In December 2018, Ajax renamed their "Talent of the Future" award after Appie.
- Many of Appie's former teammates, from both his club and national teams, chose to wear his shirt number (34) at their new clubs. These players include Justin Kluivert, Philippe Sandler, Amin Younes, Donny van de Beek, Kevin Diks, Joël Veltman, Anwar El Ghazi, Steven Bergwijn, Sofyan Amrabat, and Chadi Riad.
- Ajax won their 34th league championship in May 2019. The players dedicated this win to Appie. They celebrated with his father during the trophy presentation.
- On June 12, 2022, a public square in Amsterdam Nieuw-West was renamed the "A. Nouri Plein" in his honor.
Achievements and Awards
Ajax
- UEFA Europa League: runner-up 2016–17
Individual Awards
- Best player of AEGON Future Cup: 2014
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016
- Eerste Divisie Player of the Season: 2016–17
See also
In Spanish: Abdelhak Nouri para niños
- List of people who awoke from a coma
