The moving story behind Ismael Saibari’s Bayern Munich shirt number

When Ismael Saibari joined Bayern Munich, he let his friend Abdelhak Nouri choose his shirt number. Nouri picked 34, and Saibari took it.

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What happened to Abdelhak simply hurts me.

“ What happened to Abdelhak simply hurts me,” Saibari said. Their connection began through Saibari’s adviser, who works with Nouri’s brother, and has since grown into a close relationship between the two families. They even take holidays together.

Saibari said he and Nouri still have fun whenever they meet. He also told his friend about the move to Bayern and could clearly see how happy Nouri was for him.

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The relationship with Abdelhak’s family came through my adviser. He works with Abdelhak’s brother. The relationship became more intense from day to day, including between the families. We even take holidays together. Whenever I meet Abdelhak, we always have a lot of fun.

Nouri suffered lasting damage after a cardiac arrest. Saibari has continued to carry his old friend’s number on his back, now doing so at Bayern Munich.

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I let him decide which shirt number I would wear at Bayern. He chose 34, so I took it.