Dutch powerhouse Ajax Amsterdam will pay compensation worth 7.85 million euros ($8.9 million) to former player Abdelhak Nouri's family, the club confirmed Monday.

Midfielder Nouri suffered brain damage following a heart attack on the pitch in 2017.

He had made his senior debut in 2016-17 but the cardiac arrest in a pre-season match against Werder Bremen in Austria prematurely ended his playing career.

Despite being revived on the pitch and rushed to a hospital, Nouri suffered serious and permanent brain damage. Ajax admitted later that medical care in the acute phase on the field was not adequate and acknowledged liability for the consequences.

Ajax said it had reached an agreement with Nouri's family and that proceedings before an Arbitration Committee had been terminated as a result of the amicable settlement.

"We all realize that the suffering for Abdelhak and his loved ones is not over. It remains a very sad situation, that's how we feel here at Ajax too," Ajax General Manager Edwin van der Sar said in a statement.

"We greatly appreciate the way the family takes care of Abdelhak day and night with a lot of love and attention. When I visit him, I am always welcomed with open arms by the family.

"That also applies to other Ajax colleagues and we appreciate that enormously."

Ajax, who continued to pay Nouri after the incident, formally canceled his contract in March 2020.