Abdelhak Nouri, the Ajax midfielder who collapsed during a friendly on Saturday, has suffered ‘serious and permanent brain damage’.
A statement released by the Dutch club confirmed that the 20-year-old had experienced cardiac arrhythmias during the game against Werder Bremen in Austria last weekend.
Doctors treating him in an Innsbruck hospital have since discovered that much of his brain is not functioning. This, the statement explains, is believed to have occurred due to a lack of oxygen supply. Chances of the player recovering are said to be ‘nil’.
Earlier in the week, the club had indicated that tests had shown the player’s heart to be functioning normally and that brain scans had not detected ‘any anomalies’. The latest tests, however, have provided a far more serious outlook.
Edwin van der Sar, Ajax’s CEO, said: “This is the worst possible message. It is terrible. We feel enormously for his parents, siblings and other relatives.
“The blow is also difficult for Ajax, though we knew we had to consider this scenario. They were uncertain days, lots of people in different ways have sympathised with his situation and is greatly appreciated.
“Abdelhak is such a great talent, but unfortunately we will never know how far his star would have reached had this not happened. ”
Nouri had been airlifted to Innsbruck after he collapsed during the game and has been treated in Intensive Care ever since. He will soon be transferred to his hometown, Amsterdam, where he will continue to be treated.
