Bounida chose Ajax because of bond with Nouri

FRIDAY, 11 MARCH 2022, 17:20 - lajoya
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YOUTH - TRANSFERS A scandalous choice for the money', is how it sounds to many when the transfer of Rayane Bounida to Ajax is discussed. But who reads the beautiful story about the Bounida and Nouri families in Het Nieuwsblad, can only conclude that there is much more to it. "It would have been Anderlecht or Ajax, but because of Abdelhak Nouri we chose Ajax.
 


The Bounida and Nouri families got to know each other shortly after Abdelhak suffered severe brain damage in 2017 when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a friendly game in Austria. The young Rayane was then allowed by Nike to donate a ball to one of his Instagram fans. But Bounida did not choose a fan, he chose Abdelhak Nouri, his idol. Together with his father, Rayane drove to Amsterdam to hand over the ball to the Nouri family. "That was a great gesture for us as a family. It gave us support and since then we really see the Bounida family as our family", says Mo Nouri, Abdelhak's brother.

The nice thing is that the Nouri family already knew Bounida from Instagram. It was Appie who drew his brother Mo's attention to Bounida's videos. "My brother really enjoyed those images and said every time: 'What is that boy good!'", says Mo Nouri. According to Mo, Appie recognised himself in the young Bounida. 

"Anderlecht were willing to go very far".

After the families got to know each other through that Nike ball, the bond became closer and closer. Mo Nouri, together with Rayane's brother Marwane, started to look after Rayane's interests. "We don't believe in coincidence, this is just how it has to be," says Mo, who sees the Bounida family as the Belgian Nouri family. "There are so many parallels. Both on and off the pitch I see 99 per cent of the same things. We believe that Allah has foreseen it this way and now we try to make the most of it."

Marwane recounts how the family went to visit Barcelona and big clubs (Manchester City and PSG, ed.) waved a lot of dough. They never became serious options: Rayane did not want to live far from his family and did not want to learn a new language. "It was Anderlecht or Ajax, where Anderlecht was prepared to go very far", says Marwane. But in vain: "It was already decided that it would be Ajax."

"Not yet ready for first team"

Bounida's family visited Ajax in July last year. At that time they already made their decision. The fact that Rayane can combine school with football much better at Ajax played an important role. "At the end of the week Rayane is exhausted because of the heavy rhythm of school and football," says Marwane. "At Anderlecht we are also forced to let him study below his level." At Ajax, all that should run much more smoothly as there is a school at the youth complex and teachers will guide Rayane individually.

Ajax proposed a project to Bounida with a base place in the first team as a goal. Next season he will start with the U17. It will probably take longer for him to reach the A-team in Amsterdam than it did for Anderlecht, but the Bounida family does not mind. "Anderlecht promised my brother that he would get playing minutes in the A-team. But at sixteen he's not ready for that yet", says Marwane.

Father Nouri has also embraced Rayane. After the journalist says goodbye, he drives with the group to the ArenA to sign Rayane's contract. On the photo that Ajax distributed after the signing, we see father and brother Bounida, but also father and brother Nouri. "We are super happy and emotional, because this is so beautiful. It feels like a reward that Rayane wants to complete Appie's dream", concludes Mo Nouri.



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