Nordin Amrabat has completed a return to European football after agreeing to join FC Utrecht as a free agent.
The 39-year-old forward spent the previous season in Morocco with Wydad Casablanca, where he made 38 appearances, scoring four goals and providing four assists.
His departure from the Casablanca club comes after its new management introduced a policy of budgetary austerity. Amrabat’s exit brings his one-season spell with Wydad Casablanca to an end and allows him to resume his career in the Netherlands.
FC Utrecht confirmed the signing in a statement published on the club’s official website. Amrabat had trained with the first team for two weeks before being cleared to play in competitive matches.
The former Morocco international impressed the coaching staff during that trial period and has now been authorised to feature for the club. FC Utrecht did not state the length of his agreement.
Amrabat’s return to the Netherlands was helped by his brother, Sofyan Amrabat, who previously came through the FC Utrecht system. Sofyan intervened with the club’s directors to help secure the trial period that gave Nordin the opportunity to earn a contract.
FC Utrecht will add a versatile and experienced player to its squad. Nordin Amrabat began his professional development with Ajax, Huizen and PSV before building a career that has now taken him back to the country where his European journey began.
His arrival comes ahead of FC Utrecht’s fifth league match of the season, when the Dutch club is due to face Go Ahead Eagles. Amrabat is now eligible to play in official competition, although the club has not indicated whether he will be involved in that fixture.
The match is also being accompanied by pre-match betting prices from 1xBet. At the time of the report, FC Utrecht was listed at odds of 2.00 to win, while a draw was priced at 4.00 and a Go Ahead Eagles victory at 3.00.
Amrabat’s move marks a return to the Eredivisie after his season away from Europe with Wydad Casablanca. His immediate task will be to adapt to FC Utrecht’s first-team set-up and compete for selection after convincing the technical staff during his two-week training spell.
For Utrecht, the deal provides access to a player whose career has included experience at Ajax, Huizen and PSV, as well as international football with Morocco. For Amrabat, it represents the next stage of a career that has brought him back to the Netherlands at the age of 39.