Abdelhak ‘Appie’ Nouri: ‘We are with him 24-7, talking to him, praying for him’

Abdelhak Nouri was living his dream, playing for Ajax, when he collapsed on the pitch and suffered permanent brain damage. His family and friends talk eloquently about a warm and kind boy who had everything in front of him

On the first floor of a modern office block in Amsterdam, and in the shadows of the stadium where Abdelhak Nouri lived his dreams, the eldest of the Ajax midfielder’s six siblings delivers a brave and moving message. “Being angry doesn’t help,” Abderrahim Nouri says. “Being sad doesn’t help. Crying all day doesn’t help. Being positive helps. Praying for him helps. When I’m next to his bed, talking with him, saying good things to him, those things help.”

Speaking eloquently and emotively for more than an hour, Abderrahim has been reflecting on the tragic chain of events last summer that left his 20-year-old brother, who was one of the most talented young footballers in Holland, with severe and permanent brain damage.

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