NEW DELHI: Christian Eriksen was taken to hospital for further checks after collapsing during Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine on Sunday, raising concerns because of his well-known heart issues from the 2021 European Championship. The 34-year-old midfielder appeared to clutch his chest in the 65th minute before falling to the ground. Medical staff rushed onto the field as players from both teams looked on with concern.The Danish football federation soon confirmed that Eriksen was “conscious and, under the circumstances, doing well.” Team doctor Morten Boesen later provided a more detailed update, saying: “Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch by himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.”“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.”
Match Stopped as Fans and Players React
Eriksen was taken to hospital for tests to find out what caused the incident. Boesen added: “We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital. But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was OK.”With no play resuming after the collapse, the referee officially abandoned the match in the 79th minute while Denmark led 2-1. The stadium fell silent before supporters began chanting “Eriksen, Eriksen.” After the game was called off, players from both teams gathered together before leaving the pitch to applause, with some visibly emotional.
Reminder of His Remarkable Comeback
The incident brought back memories of Eriksen’s cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2021 opener against Finland, when he later revealed he had been “gone from this world for five minutes.” After receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, he made a remarkable return to football with Brentford, later playing for Manchester United and then joining Wolfsburg.Both Wolfsburg and Manchester United released messages wishing Eriksen a speedy recovery as they awaited further updates on his condition.