Ex-European Soccer Player Wakes From Coma After 2 years and 9 Months
Mar 26, 2020, 10:55 PM
Abdelhak Nouri of Ajax in action during the UEFA Europa League Group G match between AFC Ajax and Panathinaikos FC at Amsterdam Arena on November 24, 2016 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – In July of 2017, the Dutch superpower soccer club Ajax were playing a friendly match against German club Werder Bremen when the now 22-year-old midfielder Abdelhak Nouri collapsed.
🇲🇦🇳🇱 After 2 years and 9 months in a coma, Abdelhak Nouri is awake. His brother told the Dutch press: "He is no longer in a coma. He's awake. He sneezes, he eats and gives us signals with his eyebrows. But he doesn't get out of bed. He is very dependent on us."
Great news! ❤ pic.twitter.com/mnMLF0mG5z
— FutbolBible (@FutbolBible) March 26, 2020
It then took medics seven minutes before they could act on Nouri, who was laying seemingly lifeless in the middle of the pitch. He was then quickly taken to the nearest hospital where they found that Nouri had suffered a cardiac arrhythmia attack which resulted in serious brain damage.
A cardiac arrhythmia is a condition where the heartbeat is irregular, either too slow or too fast.
Ajax would later release a statement regarding the lack of response from the medical team, calling it “inadequate.”
“We recognize our responsibility and liability for the consequences of this,” the club said.
Remarkably, Nouri has emerged from his coma two years and nine months later. Although he still relies heavily on medical equipment and can only eat, sleep, frown, and burp, according to a report from Dutch website AD. However, he is back at his family home and even reacts to when soccer is on the television, his family told reporters.
Nouri’s brother also mentioned that the two communicate with one and other by raising their eyebrows.
Prior to the tragic incident, Nouri was thought to be one of the brightest young talents in the world. He was fast, clever and could beat teams in a multitude of ways. Nouri debuted for Ajax at just 19 years old, he would ultimately play 15 matches with the first team.
Tom Hackett is a Utah and Real Salt Lake Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the It’s Utah’s World Podcast (Utah Football themed) and The Lion’s Den Podcast (Real Salt Lake themed). Follow him on Twitter: @TomCantHackett.
