The Nouri family and Ajax have now reached an agreement on the compensation to be paid by the club. The proceedings brought by the Nouri family before the KNVB Arbitration Committee have been terminated as a result of this amicable settlement.
In the arbitration proceedings, the extent of the damage, due to, among other things, the loss of labor capacity and compensation for damages, was the subject of discussion. The agreement reached with regard to these losses concerns a net compensation of €7,850,000.
Since the summer of 2017, Ajax has also reimbursed the costs that must be incurred for the nursing and care of Abdelhak Nouri and will continue to do so.
Edwin van der Sar, CEO of AFC Ajax:
"It is good that an agreement has been reached, so that we can close this issue. We all realize that the suffering for Abdelhak and his loved ones is not over. It remains a very sad situation, that's how we feel here at Ajax, too.
We greatly appreciate the way in which Abdelhak’s family cares for him day and night with a lot of love and attention. When I visit him, I am always welcomed with open arms by the family. That also applies to other Ajax colleagues and we greatly appreciate that.
The bond between Ajax and the Nouri family is a permanent one. Not only because of the Abdelhak Nouri Trophy, which the family hands out every year to the greatest talent from our academy, but also because we have decided to give the number 34 to the Nouri family. In the Ajax first team, the number 34 will never be worn again, unless the Nouri family and Ajax want to make an exception together. The Abdelhak’s spot in the dressing room will also be placed in the Ajax Fanshop, next to the main entrance of the ArenA. We have carefully kept that in the stadium in recent years and we are now going to give it a beautiful place that is accessible to everyone."
Mohammed Nouri, father of Abdelhak:
"This summer it will be five years since Abdelhak was struck by a terrible fate. The past few years have been dominated by his care. In addition to all the difficult moments, this has also resulted in a lot of meaningful things for us. Especially the realization that for many people Abdelhak is a personification of togetherness and brotherhood. That is a very comforting thought.
The involvement and commitment of Ajax has also been extremely important said years. Ajax has been an inseparable part of our lives since Abdelhak's was very young. We cherish the bond with people within the club as well as with the loyal supporters. Abdelhak will forever be linked to number 34, as it was his promise to all supporters to ensure the 34th league title. It makes us proud that this song with historical value remains his. This number was also on his locker in the dressing room of the Ajax first team. He was very proud of that place, it was a sign for him that he was getting closer to his goal of being an important player for Ajax. It is a nice gift for all fans that it will be given a permanent place in the fan shop and therefore accessible to everyone.
It is good that the discussion about liability and its consequences is a thing of the past and that we can look forward together. This will mainly focus on the great plans we have with the Abdelhak Nouri Foundation. We also want to do justice to the significance that Abdelhak has there, together with Ajax. We will be announcing the foundation and the plans in the near future.”
Nouri family and Ajax reach a settlement
On July 8, 2017, Abdelhak Nouri suffered a cardiac arrest during a friendly match in Austria. As a result, the midfielder suffered serious and permanent brain damage. Ajax later confirmed that Nouri's medical care in the vital phase on the pitch was not adequate and, as an employer, has acknowledged liability for the consequences.