One of the many well-being wishes for Eriksen
According to the Danish team doctor, Christian Eriksen narrowly escaped death at the European Football Championship on Saturday. “He was already gone. It was a cardiac arrest,” said Morten Boesen on Sunday, referring to cardiac specialists. “We got it back with the help of a defibrillator insert. And that relatively quickly,” Boesen reported at a press conference in Copenhagen.
One day after his collapse, the Danish star is “under the circumstances okay. His condition is still stable,” said Boesen. Eriksen collapsed on the pitch in the game between Denmark and Finland (0-1) in Copenhagen shortly before the end of the first half and remained motionless. Rescuers who were called immediately took life-saving measures before the player was taken to the Rigshospitalet hospital in the Danish capital.
The game continued after a 90-minute interruption after UEFA had offered the option to continue on Sunday lunchtime as an alternative. With a day's gap, team boss Kasper Hjulmand criticized this decision. “I honestly don't think we should have been back on the pitch,” said Hjulmand. “It was the wrong decision, and a tough one, to let the players choose between those two things: to play the same night or the next day.” The Danish soccer legends Michael Laudrup and Peter Schmeichel had already made a similar statement.
Sports director Peter Möller also shared this criticism on the podium. “I didn't feel any pressure from UEFA. But football is not the world.” The sports director also announced that the Danes will play the tournament to the end. “We want to continue. We wish to continue this tournament,” said Möller. Hjulmand also spoke out in favor of it. “Christian feels best when his feet are close to a football. We'll try to pull ourselves together and play for Christian,” he said.
This decision is made easier by the good news from the Copenhagen hospital. All medical tests on the 29-year-old Inter Milan midfielder have already been completed. “You were good,” said Boesen. However, he cannot say anything about the exact causes of the collapse. Beppe Marotta, Managing Director of Inter Milan, ruled out the after-effects of a possible Covid disease or a vaccination. “He did not have Covid and he was not vaccinated,” said Marotta.
Sports director Möller said that the entire Danish team held a video conference with Eriksen in the hospital on Sunday. “It was a huge relief for the players to have the opportunity to speak to Christian,” he said. “It was the best thing for me to see Christian smile,” added coach Hjulmand.
Eriksen received well-being wishes from all over the football world. Finland's captain Tim Sparv sent a video message the day after its collapse. “Football is not the most important thing in the world today. It is much more important that you are fine and that we will see you on the pitch again soon,” said Sparv in the video that the Finnish Football Association posted on Sunday on its social networks spread.
