Ajax midfielder and Dutch professional
footballer, Abdelhak Nouri is battling with
“serious and permanent brain damage”
after collapsing in a friendly match on
Saturday.
The 20-year-old young star had “cardiac
arrhythmias” – heart rhythm problems
during the game against Werder Bremen.
He received CPR on the pitch and was
airlifted to a hospital in Austria after
collapsing in the 73rd minute of the game.
His club in a statement confirmed the brain
damage and said his chances of recovery
are nil.
The statement read: “The diagnosis was
made that a lot of [his] brain is not
functioning. All this probably occurred due
to a lack of oxygen supply.”
On Monday, the club had initially said tests
showed his “heart is functioning normally”
and brain scans did not detect “any
anomalies” – but new tests revealed the
extent of the damage.
According to the Dutch club, he will soon be
transferred to a hospital in Amsterdam for
further care.
Football stars around the world have all
taken to their social media accounts to
show support for the young star, who has
played 15 league and cup games for Ajax in
2016-17, scoring one goal in a Dutch Cup
tie.