Ajax Struck By Tragedy

Although they deservedly earned praise for their way of playing, and for reaching last season’s Europa League Final, Ajax finished the campaign without silverware and the heat is on to deliver.

- Klaas-Jan Droppert

However, even if they should succeed this term, any celebrations will be marked by sadness as tragedy struck before a ball had even been kicked in the Eredivisie.

The tragic accident happened during a pre-season training camp in Austria, when Ajax were playing Werder Bremen. With 20 minutes left to play, 20-year-old midfielder Abdelhak Nouri collapsed due to heart arrhythmias and was airlifted to a hospital. At first, his condition looked stable, with no permanent damage expected, but later that week came the horrific news that a lack of oxygen caused him to suffer permanent brain damage. He will require medical treatment for the rest of his life.

Understandably it was an enormous shock to Ajax, who Nouri had joined at the age of seven. “The blow is also hard for Ajax”, said the club’s chief executive, Edwin Van der Sar. “Abdelhak was such a great talent, but unfortunately we will never know how far his star would have reached if this hadn’t happened to him.”