Saibari did not know Abdelhak Nouri before his accident: today, they are like family

Ismael Saibari told Bayern Munich the little-known story of his relationship with Abdelhak Nouri. Although he regularly visits him and has worn the number 34 in his honor for several years, the Atlas Lion reveals that he had never met the former Ajax prospect before the tragedy that changed his life.

“What happened to Abdelhak breaks my heart,” Saibari explained in a lengthy interview published by Bayern Munich. Nouri suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2017 during a friendly match between Ajax and Werder Bremen, resulting in severe brain damage.

The two men met much later. Their bond began through Saibari’s agent, who also works with Abdelhak Nouri’s brother.

What could have remained a simple support visit gradually turned into a very strong relationship over the years. “The relationship became increasingly intense, day after day, including between the families,” the Bayern player recounts.

The two families are now so close that they even go on vacation together.

On Bladi.net : Nine years after his accident, reassuring news about Abdelhak Nouri

This closeness also has a personal dimension for Saibari. The Moroccan international explains that he spoke extensively with his mother about Nouri’s situation. He also points out that visiting sick people is one of the values to which he is committed in his practice of Islam.

When he reunites with Abdelhak, Saibari says that the time they spend together remains joyful. He says he likes to think that this joy can, even modestly, have a positive effect on his friend.

Abdelhak Nouri chose his own number at Bayern

Saibari also recounts how he communicates with Abdelhak Nouri today. The former Ajax player cannot speak, but he manages to express his reactions, notably through the movements of his eyebrows.

When Saibari told him about his transfer from PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich this summer, his reaction, according to Saibari, left no doubt. “You could see very clearly how happy he was for me,” the Moroccan recounts.

Saibari then entrusted him with a symbolic decision: choosing the number he would wear at his new club.

Abdelhak Nouri chose 34.

Saibari therefore now wears this number at Bayern in tribute to his friend, just as he had done before. The number 34 was worn by Nouri at Ajax before his accident.

On Bladi.net : Ismael Saibari Bayern Munich Number 34 Abdelhak Nouri Tribute

The relationship between the two men was already known to the former player’s family. Last spring, Abdelhak Nouri’s father named Ismael Saibari among the football figures who continue to regularly visit his son.