Christian Eriksen has collapsed again during Denmark’s friendly against Ukraine, with the match abandoned after another deeply worrying scene involving the midfielder.
The Danish FA have said Eriksen is conscious and doing well under the circumstances, but the incident is especially concerning because of what happened to him at Euro 2020.
Five years ago, Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark against Finland, in a moment that stopped football and left players and supporters fearing the worst.
What happened to Christian Eriksen at Euro 2020?
Eriksen collapsed during the first half of Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. There had been no heavy collision or obvious warning, with the midfielder suddenly falling to the pitch as a throw-in came his way.
Medical staff rushed on immediately and Denmark’s players formed a protective screen around him while he received emergency treatment. CPR was carried out and an automated external defibrillator was used to restart his heart.
Eriksen later told the BBC: “I was gone from this world for five minutes.”
He also recalled that he remembered parts of the build-up and the aftermath, but not the minutes when he was unconscious. In a later interview with Danish TV station DR1 (via All Football), he said he remembered feeling a cramp in his calf, passing the ball back, then blacking out.
When he woke, he initially thought he may have broken his back because he could feel people pressing on him and was trying to work out whether he could move his legs.
It was only in the ambulance, after hearing medical staff discuss how long he had been out, that he realised how serious the situation had been.
Eriksen was later fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The device can monitor the heart and deliver a shock if it detects a dangerous rhythm.
At the time, many feared his football career was over. Inter Milan had to release him because Italian rules did not allow him to play with the device, but he later returned to the Premier League with Brentford and then continued his career with Manchester United and Wolfsburg.
That comeback was remarkable, but the latest incident will naturally bring fresh concern. For now, the only important thing is Eriksen’s health, and the hope is that more positive updates follow quickly.
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