Ismael Saibari will wear Bayern Munich’s No. 34 shirt as a tribute to Abdelhak Nouri, the former Ajax midfielder who suffered permanent brain damage after collapsing during a match in 2017.
“I’m supporting him by wearing the 34. It was his last number,” Saibari said after completing his move from PSV Eindhoven.
The Morocco international has not adopted the number specifically for Bayern. He wore No. 34 during his rise at PSV and has carried the tribute for several seasons.
Who is Abdelhak Nouri?
Nouri, widely known as Appie, was one of the most highly regarded players produced by Ajax’s academy.
Born in Amsterdam to Moroccan parents, the attacking midfielder progressed through the club’s youth system and reached its first team wearing No. 34.
On July 8, 2017, the 20-year-old suffered cardiac arrest during a pre-season friendly against Werder Bremen in Austria. He sustained serious and permanent brain damage and has required continuous care since then.
Ajax later acknowledged that the medical treatment provided during the crucial phase after his collapse was inadequate and accepted responsibility for the consequences.
The club reached a settlement with Nouri’s family in 2022 that included net compensation of €7.85 million. Ajax also agreed to continue covering the costs of his nursing and care.
Did Saibari know Nouri before the collapse?
No. Saibari did not know Nouri before the 2017 incident but later developed a close relationship with him and his family.
Bayern referred to Nouri as Saibari’s friend when announcing the Moroccan player’s shirt number.
Saibari has said that he visits Nouri and maintains contact with his family. In a 2025 interview with ESPN Netherlands, he said Nouri sometimes smiles when he hears Saibari’s name.
The detail concerns Nouri’s medical response and comes from Saibari’s account rather than an independent clinical assessment.
Why does Saibari visit Nouri?
Saibari has linked the visits both to his Muslim faith and to a broader sense of responsibility towards someone living with serious illness.
“Islam encourages visiting sick people, at home or in hospital,” he told Voetbal International. “Besides that, for me it is humanity, that you visit someone and offer support.”
Saibari also accompanied former PSV coach Peter Bosz on a visit to Nouri.
Bosz had coached Nouri at Ajax during the 2016-17 season and asked Saibari to accompany him because seeing his former player in a radically different condition would be difficult.
Saibari said they spent a pleasant afternoon together and described Bosz’s decision to visit as an example of the human side of football.
Why is No. 34 important?
Nouri wore No. 34 because he had promised Ajax supporters that he wanted to help the club win its 34th Dutch league title.
Ajax achieved that milestone in 2019 and dedicated the championship to him.
The number has since become inseparable from Nouri’s story. As part of its 2022 agreement with his family, Ajax handed control of No. 34 to the Nouris.
The club said the number would never again be worn by an Ajax first-team player unless Ajax and Nouri’s family jointly agreed to an exception.
Have other footballers worn No. 34 for Nouri?
Several of Nouri’s former teammates and friends have chosen the number after moving to other clubs.
Justin Kluivert selected No. 34 after joining Roma in 2018. He and Nouri had progressed through Ajax’s academy together before reaching the senior squad.
Donny van de Beek also chose No. 34 after signing for Manchester United in 2020 as a tribute to his former Ajax teammate.
The repeated use of the number has turned it into a shared memorial across European football, particularly among players connected to Ajax’s academy and the Moroccan-Dutch football community.
How long has Saibari worn the number?
Saibari wore No. 34 at PSV before joining Bayern and has said he had carried it for several years specifically for Nouri.
His choice therefore differs from a one-off tribute made after a single transfer or match. The number accompanied his development from a young PSV player into a Morocco international and one of the Dutch club’s leading performers.
He will now retain it at the highest-profile stage of his club career.
What are the details of Saibari’s Bayern move?
Bayern signed Saibari from PSV on a contract running until June 2031. He will formally join the German champions after Morocco completes its World Cup campaign.
Neither club disclosed the financial terms, but media reports valued the transfer at up to €55 million.
Saibari joined PSV from Genk in 2020 and scored 42 goals in 142 appearances. He helped the club win three consecutive Dutch league titles before completing the move to Munich.
The transfer places him among Morocco’s most prominent players in European football, but his shirt number ties that rise to someone whose own career was halted before it could fully begin.
For Saibari, No. 34 is not simply a reference to Nouri’s past. It is a promise to keep his name visible as Saibari’s own career moves forward.
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