Ajax admit providing ‘inadequate’ care for Abdelhak Nouri after winger suffered cardiac arrest during friendly game
Nouri collapsed during pre-season match with Werder Bremen last year and suffered 'serious and permanent' brain damage after being revived on pitch
AJAX have admitted to providing “inadequate” on-field medical treatment for Abdelhak Nouri.
The former midfielder collapsed during a pre-season friendly last year.
Nouri, 21, suffered a cardiac arrest during the match against German club Werder Bremen last July.
And despite being revived on the pitch and airlifted to a hospital, he suffered “serious and permanent” brain damage.
The Dutch giants have accepted they could have done more for their former player, after firmly believing at the time they did everything possible on the day.
Ajax general manager Edwin Van der Sar said: “We recognise our responsibility and liability for the consequences of this.
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“For a long time we were convinced that Abdelhak had received the best possible care on the field.”
Ajax said they sought an independent opinion during the incident and acted accordingly.
However further investigations showed that a defibrillator should have been used sooner in the treatment.
Van der Sar added: “Had this happened, it's possible that Abdelhak would have come out in a better condition.
“This isn't certain, but it's a possibility.
"We now need to do what's necessary in order to fulfil the responsibility we have as a club, but also as human beings."
Nouri, born in Amsterdam to parents of Moroccan descent, made 15 appearances for Ajax in his debut 2016-17 season.