We saw some scary scenes in Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener against Finland on Saturday afternoon. Their star playmaker, Christian Eriksen suddenly collapsed on the pitch just moments before half-time.
The medical staff rushed on the pitch for assistance. Eriksen lay on the ground for a while until he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher. He was straightaway rushed to the hospital where it was later reported that he was awake and stabilized. Back at the pitch one could hear the Danes and Finnish fans chanting the player’s name sending out their prayers.
Doctor’s Statement
Morten Boesen, Denmark’s national team doctor, addressed the media after the game. He went on to explain the exact scenario. As quoted by Danish newspaper B.T (via WalesOnline), Boesen stated, “We were called on the pitch when Christian fell over. I did not get to see it, but it soon became clear that he had fallen over. When we got there, he was lying on his side and was breathing. We felt the pulse, but pretty quickly the picture changed, and then we started life-saving heart treatment.”
“There was fantastic help from the stadium doctor and the rest of the emergency services, and with that collaboration, we got what we needed. We got Christian back, who spoke to me before he was taken to the hospital,” added Boesen.
❤️ Stefan Lainer dedicates his goal to @ChrisEriksen8.#EURO2020 #AUT #MKD pic.twitter.com/N5KeLPyo3p
— SPORF (@Sporf) June 13, 2021
Sanjay Sharma, who is a professor of sports cardiology at London’s St George’s University, has also spoken about the incident. Sharma has past experience of working with Eriksen back at Tottenham Hotspur. “The fact he’s stable and awake, his outlook is going to be very good. I don’t know whether he’ll ever play football again. Without putting it too bluntly, he died today, albeit for a few minutes, but he did die, and would the medical professional allow him to die again? The answer is no,” he said.
The entire credit goes to the doctors for acting fast and saving Eriksen’s life. The footballing world sent its prayers to him and his family soon. Romelu Lukaku (among other players) also dedicated Eriksen his goal later in Belgium’s game against Russia. The best part is Eriksen is stable and is making recovery.
