Abdelhak Nouri facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 April 1997 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.67 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 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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Honours
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Abdelhak "Appie" Nouri (born April 2, 1997) is a former Dutch football player. He was a midfielder, often playing as an attacking midfielder. He could also play as a winger.
Appie grew up playing football at the famous Ajax club in the Netherlands. He played for their youth teams, their reserve team (Jong Ajax), and the main team. He also played for the Netherlands national youth teams.
Sadly, in July 2017, when he was 20, Appie collapsed during a friendly match. He had a heart problem that caused serious and lasting brain damage. This meant he could no longer play football.
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Early Life & Rising Talent
Appie was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His family is from Morocco. He was a very talented young player. In 2014, The Guardian newspaper called him one of the top 40 young players worldwide. This was before he even started playing professionally.
Appie's Football Journey
Appie started in the youth academy at Ajax. He played his first professional game for Jong Ajax, the reserve team, on March 13, 2015. This was in an Eerste Divisie game against VVV Venlo.
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!
He played so well for Jong Ajax during the 2016–17 season that he won the Player of the Season award. Because of his great performance, he was promoted to the main Ajax team for the 2017–18 season.
The Day Appie Collapsed
On July 8, 2017, Appie collapsed during a friendly match against Werder Bremen. This was due to a heart problem. He was taken to the hospital by a special helicopter. At first, his condition seemed stable.
However, five days later, Ajax announced that Appie had suffered severe and permanent brain damage. This was a direct result of what happened. He was in intensive care. By July 25, 2017, he was able to breathe on his own, but he could not play football again.
In June 2018, Ajax said that the medical help Appie received on the field was "not good enough." Appie's family then started a lawsuit against Ajax. They said 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 shared that he had woken up from his coma. He returned home to be with his family and continues to receive care there.
Soon after, Ajax ended Appie's contract. It was supposed to renew automatically on July 1. Ajax also said they were talking with his family about how to support Appie in the future. In February 2022, Ajax announced they reached an agreement with Appie's family. The club would pay €7.85 million and cover all his medical bills. They also decided to retire his number 34 jersey.
In April 2024, Appie's brother, Abderrahim, said that Appie was "awake" but "isn't his old self."
Tributes to Appie
After Appie's football career ended, many people honored him. In December 2018, Ajax renamed their "Talent of the Future" award after Appie.
Many of his former teammates from Ajax and the national team showed their support. Players like Justin Kluivert, Donny van de Beek, and Anwar El Ghazi chose to wear Appie's shirt number (34) at their new clubs.
When Ajax won their 34th league championship in May 2019, the players dedicated it to Appie. They celebrated with his father during the trophy presentation. On June 12, 2022, a square in Amsterdam Nieuw-West was renamed the "A. Nouri Plein" in his honor.
Achievements & 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
