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.
Below are photos from the scene.
