Noureddine Amrabat Returns to Europe with Utrecht

Noureddine Amrabat is back in Europe. At 39, the Moroccan veteran has signed for Dutch side Utrecht on a free transfer, ending a brief but eventful spell with Wydad in Casablanca.

His departure from the Moroccan giants was shaped by economics rather than football. Under new president Brahim El Asri, Wydad adopted a strict austerity policy and chose not to renew a raft of contracts. Amrabat was among those to go, leaving a club wrestling with a financial crisis that had even disrupted salary payments late last season.

On the pitch, his numbers were modest but steady: 4 goals and 4 assists in 38 appearances for Wydad. Off it, his experience and presence remained his main currency.

Utrecht moved quickly once they had him in the building. After two weeks of training with the first team, the coaching staff had seen enough. The club announced on Tuesday, via a statement on their website, that Amrabat had earned a deal and is now eligible to feature in official matches.

The family name helped open the door. His younger brother, Sofyan Amrabat, came through Utrecht’s youth system and used his connections with the club’s hierarchy to help secure Noureddine a trial. The rest he handled himself on the training pitch.

For Utrecht, this is a low-risk bet on know-how. Amrabat brings a career’s worth of experience from his early days at Ajax, Huizen and PSV, and the versatility to cover multiple roles across the pitch. For a squad navigating a long Eredivisie campaign, that kind of profile can prove invaluable.

Attention now turns to the weekend. Utrecht face GA Eagles in the fifth round of the league on Saturday, and the obvious question hangs in the air: does a 39-year-old with a point to prove step straight back into Dutch football under the lights?