COPENHAGEN: Denmark star Christian Eriksen (pix) was awake in hospital and undergoing tests after collapsing and needing to be revived on the pitch against Finland on Saturday in extraordinary scenes at Euro 2020.
The Danish Football Union (DBU) said Eriksen was “awake and undergoing further tests” having received CPR from medical personnel before being taken off on a stretcher at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium.
The Group B game — just the third of the month-long tournament which began a year behind schedule on Friday — was stopped just before half-time with the score goalless and suspended for nearly two hours before restarting.
After the shocked teams embraced, the Finns claimed a shock 1-0 win in their first major tournament match, with Joel Pohjanpalo scoring the winner on the hour mark.
Uefa said the decision to restart was made “following the request by players of both teams” and supporters cheered as the game recommenced.
Earlier, Eriksen’s teammates were in tears as they formed a circle of red shirts around the stricken 29-year-old Inter Milan midfielder as the medics worked to save his life.
He was later able to speak to his teammates.
“We’ve been in contact with him, and the players have spoken to Christian. That’s the great news. He’s doing fine, and they are playing the game for him,” DBU director Peter Moeller told Danish television.
Eriksen was voted man of the match in a gesture of support.
“Moments like this put everything in life into perspective,” said Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin.
‘Forza Chris’
“Forza Chris, all of our thoughts are with you,” tweeted Inter, with whom Eriksen won the Serie A title in the season just finished.
Before the drama involving Eriksen, a crowd of 16,000 in the Danish capital — around 45 percent of the capacity — had been celebrating the chance to see their national team again live at the stadium after a year of coronavirus restrictions.
There have been high hopes in Denmark for their team, who were surprise European champions in 1992, but they struggled to create clear chances when the game resumed.
Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg saw a 74th-minute penalty comfortably saved by Finland goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Saturday’s late match between Russia and much-fancied Belgium in Saint-Petersburg, in the same Group B, went ahead as planned later Saturday. — AFP
