An Ajax player has collapsed on the pitch during a preseason friendly against German club Werder Bremen.
20-year-old Abdelhak Nouri collapsed in the 71st minute and was administered CPR. The club confirmed Nouri’s condition is “serious” but also updated the situation on social media to say that while Nouri is unconscious, he does have a heartbeat.
Nouri was taken to a hospital in Austria where the game was being played. The friendly was suspended after Nouri was treated and taken in a helicopter. BeIN Sports is reporting Nouri is in stable condition after suffering a cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, but that has not been confirmed by the club.
Video of the immediate aftermath shows Ajax players stunned and in shock, some on the verge of tears. Ajax head coach Marcel Keizer was clearly distraught.
UPDATE NOURI | Er was sprake van hartritmestoornissen. Hij is stabiel, heeft hartslag & wordt in slaap gehouden.
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) July 8, 2017
Nouri is of Moroccan descent but has played for the Dutch youth national teams at all levels. He came through the Ajax youth system and made 15 appearances for the Ajax senior squad last season across all competitions, almost all of those off the bench.
