Christian Eriksen: Denmark midfielder suffered cardiac arrest, says team doctor

Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest when he collapsed in Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland, said Danish team doctor Morten Boesen.

Earlier, officials said the midfielder was stable in hospital and had sent his greetings to his national team-mates.

Eriksen collapsed shortly before half-time in Denmark's opening Euro 2020 game against Finland on Saturday.

"He was gone. We did cardiac resuscitation, it was a cardiac arrest," said Boesen.

"How close were we to losing him? I don't know, but we got him back after one defib [defibrillation] so that's quite fast.

"The examinations that have been done so far look fine. We don't have an explanation to why it happened."

The 29-year-old Inter Milan player had emergency medical treatment on the pitch before being taken to hospital.

"His condition is stable and he continues to be hospitalised for further examination," said a statement from Danish officials on Sunday morning.

"This morning we have spoken to Christian, who has sent his greetings to his team-mates.

"The team and staff of the national team has received crisis assistance and will continue to be there for each other after yesterday's incident.

"We would like to thank everyone for their heartfelt greetings."

Head coach Kasper Hjulmand said Eriksen told him he did not remember much from Saturday's collapse.

He quoted the midfielder as saying: "I think you are feeling worse than I am. I feel as if I'm about to go training now, boys."

Hjulmand added: "Christian is in good spirits and it's a huge relief for the players after all this uncertainty. There is no doubt that we have been on the ropes."

Saturday's incident happened as a throw-in was played towards Eriksen near the end of the first half.

His distressed team-mates surrounded him and the shocked supporters at Parken Stadium were visibly upset as the player was treated.

Boesen said Eriksen was unconscious when he reached the player on the pitch.

"When I got to him he was on his side, he was breathing, I could feel a pulse, but suddenly that changed and we started to give him CPR," he said.

"The help came really fast from the medical team and the rest of the staff with their co-operation, and we did what we had to do and managed to get Christian back."

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Only once informed that Eriksen was awake in hospital did the players agree to resume the match, with Finland going on to win 1-0.

Hjulmand told reporters after the game: "It was a traumatic experience. We talked about those feelings and it would've been OK to say 'no' if they didn't want to play.

"Some of them were not able to play, some were ready. It's not normal to play such a game when one of your friends is suffering with a heart issue."

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Danish and Finnish fans chant for Eriksen
Fans who were at the game later gathered outside Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen to show support for the player, while many across the football world sent their best wishes - among them, England captain and Eriksen's former Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Harry Kane.Fellow Spurs player Son Heung-min also sent a message of support to his former team-mate after scoring the goal that guaranteed South Korea top spot in their qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup.

Son scored from the penalty spot against Lebanon before running to a pitchside camera and holding up his fingers to signal 23, the shirt number the Dane wore during his time at Spurs.

"Christian Eriksen, I love you," Son said as he looked into the camera.

Downing Street said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was "shocked" by what happened to Eriksen, and his thoughts were with the Danish player and his family.

Last month, Eriksen helped Inter clinch their first Italian title for 11 years in his first full season with the club, after joining from Spurs for £16.9m in January 2020.
Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland should not have restarted after midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed mid-game, coach Kasper Hjulmand says.

"No, we should not have played," Hjulmand said on Sunday.

"Players have different reactions to shocks and trauma but we'll try to get back to normal as much as possible."

Former Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has called the decision to resume Saturday's game, which Finland won 1-0, "absolutely ridiculous".

Denmark are due to face Belgium on Thursday in their second match of the tournament.

Hjulmand added: "I get the feelings from the players that maybe the time is too short to try to play football again, but maybe we can use it as a force to get together and try to go out and do our best in the next match."

Eriksen, 29, is stable and awake in hospital after receiving emergency treatment on the pitch in Copenhagen. Denmark's team doctor said he suffered a cardiac arrest.

'No compassion'
Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 live the fact the Denmark players were given the choice to resume the match on Saturday evening or at noon on Sunday was "a ridiculous decision by Uefa".

"They should have tried to work out a different scenario and shown a little bit of compassion, and they didn't," he said.

The game was suspended before half-time after the former Spurs playmaker fell to the ground.

He was treated by medical teams on the pitch before being taken to hospital.

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After hearing Eriksen was conscious and talking, 
the players decided to get the tie finished on Saturday.

The Group B match restarted almost two hours after Eriksen collapsed, and Finland won 1-0.

Tournament organiser Uefa said it agreed to restart the match "following the request made by players of both teams".

But Schmeichel, whose son Kasper is the current Danish goalkeeper, said the players were put in a difficult position.

"That would be the worst two hours in my time in football," he said.

"Something terrible like that happens and Uefa gives the players an option to go out and play the game or come back at 12:00 on Sunday. What kind of option is that?

"The result of the game is completely irrelevant. I mean, how can you play?"

BBC pundit and former player Jermaine Jenas, who was playing for Spurs when Bolton's Fabrice Muamba collapsed during an FA Cup game between the two teams in 2012, said the decision to restart Saturday game did not make sense.

"We had a scenario where someone almost lost their life and as a former pro, I was just shocked," he said.

"There is no way that game should have been played last night. Not one player on that pitch was in the right mindset to be playing a game of football.

"It needed a day or two to let things settle down and to let people regather their thoughts."

Although Denmark's next game against Belgium is not until Thursday, Finland face Russia on Wednesday.

Hjulmand said after Saturday's game: "It was a traumatic experience. We talked about those feelings and it would've been OK to say 'no' if they didn't want to play.

"Some of them were not able to play, some were ready. It's not normal to play such a game when one of your friends is suffering with a heart issue."

Finland and Norwich striker Teemu Pukki said Saturday's match had been one of the most difficult of his career.

"We decided to do what the Danish team would decide and were ready to continue whatever decision was taken," he said.

"It was definitely not easy to come back to the pitch. But once we heard everything seemed to be fine, we started concentrating again on the game."