July 8th marks a tragic date that Ajax will not soon forget. It was on this day that 20-year-old Abdelhak “Appie” Nouri collapsed during a friendly against Werder Bremen due to cardiac arrhythmia. Tragically, the young footballer suffered severe and permanent brain damage as a result. As of July 25th, Appie is no longer in an induced coma and is able to breathe on his own again.
On the pitch, Appie was named the 2016-17 Eerste Player of the Year as a member of Jong Ajax (the second team), and he was expected to make an impact this year in the Eredivisie with the first team.
Since that fateful day, the outpouring of support from the Amsterdam club and others around the world has been constant. People have been crowding the streets around the family’s home and notable players have released words of encouragement. Ajax’s most recent tribute was a video and banner in Appie’s honor during Wednesday’s Champions League match against Nice.
Players also stopped in the middle of the game to join fans in applause for Appie and his family.
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