Marcel Keizer recalls the grief and uncertainty after Abdelhak Nouri’s collapse
Former Ajax coach Marcel Keizer has spoken candidly about the club’s traumatic first days after Abdelhak “Appie” Nouri suffered a cardiac arrest during a pre-season friendly in 2017. Appearing on Alex Pastoor’s podcast, Met Open Vizier, Keizer described a squad caught between hope and fear—and the difficulty of carrying on with football while one of its most beloved young players remained in hospital.
Nouri was just 20 when he collapsed during Ajax’s match against Werder Bremen in Austria on 8 July 2017. Keizer had only recently taken charge of the Amsterdam side. In the podcast conversation, which also featured former footballer Khalid Boulahrouz discussing grief in sport, the coach reflected on the shock that followed and the lasting affection Ajax players and staff felt for Nouri.
A frightening wait in Austria
Keizer recalled that the team returned to Amsterdam on the day of the incident, leaving Nouri behind as he received medical care. The separation weighed heavily on the players and staff, even as they tried to hold on to hope.
“It felt terrible to leave him behind in Austria,” Keizer said. He explained that the squad believed Nouri was in good hands, and that this gave them some comfort during an agonising period. For several days, the group lived with uncertainty, hoping for signs of recovery while fearing what the future might bring.
That emotional limbo is familiar to many people who have experienced a serious medical emergency involving someone close to them. In a professional football environment, the pressure can be especially complicated: players are expected to follow routines, train and prepare for fixtures, even when their thoughts are elsewhere. Keizer’s account offers a glimpse of how difficult it was for Ajax’s young squad to balance those demands with concern for their teammate.
The news that changed everything
Eventually, the squad was told that Nouri would not recover to the person he had been before the collapse. Keizer described the moment as deeply emotional, with players responding in different ways. Some fell silent, while others shouted as they tried to process the news.
There is no single way to react to grief or devastating information. Keizer’s recollection captures the range of responses inside the dressing room, where teammates were not only colleagues but also friends who had shared training sessions, ambitions and everyday life at Ajax. For many, Nouri’s absence was impossible to separate from the game itself.
The news also arrived at a demanding point in the season. Ajax were due to begin their Europa League qualifying campaign the following week, leaving the club to confront a difficult question: how could the team return to football when the players were still trying to understand what had happened?
When football felt impossible
Keizer said some players did not want to train. They questioned why the squad was expected to continue as usual when Nouri was still at the centre of their thoughts. Frenkie de Jong, who was among the young players close to him, did not want to take part in training, Keizer recalled. De Jong could not imagine playing football without Appie.
The coach acknowledged the tension between the fixture schedule and the human reality facing the squad. Football does not pause automatically when tragedy strikes. Matches remain on the calendar, preparation continues and clubs face expectations from supporters and competitions. Yet, as Keizer’s comments make clear, the fact that the schedule carries on does not mean players are ready to do the same emotionally.
For Ajax, the challenge was not simply to prepare for the next match. It was to support a group of young professionals through shock and grief while recognising that each player might need something different. Keizer’s reflection is a reminder that behind every team selection and match prediction are people dealing with pressures that cannot be measured in tactics or statistics.
Remembering Nouri beyond the tragedy
Near the end of the podcast, Boulahrouz asked Keizer to share a fond memory of Nouri—an invitation to remember him as more than the player at the centre of a heartbreaking event. Keizer described him as someone who seemed almost like the “boss” of De Toekomst, Ajax’s youth academy. People knew him, he said, and Nouri appeared to have a natural sense of what was happening around him.
Keizer also spoke about Nouri’s kindness away from the training ground, particularly the way he treated children in his neighbourhood. He remembered a generous young man whose warmth and presence made an impression on people around him. The anecdote gives a fuller picture of Nouri: not only a talented footballer, but also a person valued for his character and generosity.
That distinction matters when discussing a tragedy that has remained part of Ajax’s history. Nouri’s story is often recalled through the events of July 2017 and their devastating consequences. Keizer’s memories, however, bring attention to the relationships and everyday qualities that made him special to those who knew him. His influence was felt not only in the academy or on the pitch, but also in his community.
A lasting place in Ajax’s story
Keizer’s account offers a personal perspective on a painful chapter in Dutch football. It shows how abruptly a team’s focus can shift from pre-season preparation to uncertainty, grief and the need to support one another. It also highlights the limits of football’s routines: training and fixtures may continue, but players remain human beings first.
Nearly a decade after Nouri’s collapse, the memories shared by former teammates and coaches continue to shape how supporters understand his place in Ajax’s story. Keizer’s words combine the shock of those first days with a tender recollection of the young man behind the headlines. For the Ajax community, remembering Nouri means acknowledging both the tragedy and the generosity, personality and promise that made “Appie” so loved.
