287 days after cardiac arrest
Eriksen celebrates dream return for Denmark
03/26/2022, 10:11 p.m
Cristian Eriksen was dying during a European Championship game in June, but the Dane is returning to the national team – with a delayed blitz goal. Eriksen scores against the Netherlands 287 days and two minutes after his dreadful last appearance for Denmark.
Christian Eriksen has returned to the Danish national football team 287 days after suffering cardiac arrest at the European Championship – and has made a sensational comeback. The 30-year-old from Premier League club FC Brentford came on as a second-half substitute in Saturday night’s friendly against the Netherlands in Amsterdam and was greeted with a standing ovation. Just under two minutes later, the now 110-time Danish international scored to make it 2:3. Both teams have qualified for the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.
National coach Kasper Hjulmand has also nominated Eriksen for the next game of the Danes against Serbia. Eriksen collapsed on June 12, 2021 at the European Championships at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen during the game against Finland with a cardiac arrest on the lawn. Rescue workers managed to revive the experienced international and thus save his life.
Exactly a month ago, Eriksen made his competitive comeback at FC Brentford in London – appropriately in the club colors red and white, which he also wears for Denmark. In the game against Newcastle United (0:2), the Dane came on as a substitute in the 52nd minute and was celebrated. After a long forced break, Eriksen has now completed his 110th international match for the former European champion. The Netherlands will receive the DFB selection again for a test duel in Amsterdam next Tuesday.
England and Spain win
Thanks to goalkeeper Harry Kane, England’s national football team still won a friendly against Switzerland and ended the Swiss team’s run without defeat after seven games. In a duel between two World Cup participants, coach Gareth Southgate’s team happily won 2-1 (1-1) on Saturday evening in front of 90,000 spectators at London’s Wembley Stadium. The Swiss, on the other hand, suffered their first defeat in the eighth game under selection coach Murat Yakin, who took over after the European Championship in early August 2021.
Tottenham striker Kane decided the game with a hand penalty in the 78th minute. Steven Zuber was unlucky when the ball hit his arm during a defensive action in the penalty area. Mönchengladbach’s Breel Embolo headed the Swiss, who had started with five Bundesliga players, ahead in the 22nd minute. Just before the end of the first half, Luke Shaw equalized for the Three Lions (45+1).
The Leipzig Bundesliga professional Dani Olmo saved ex-world champion Spain in a duel with outsiders Albania at the last minute. In the 2-1 (0-0) home win, the hosts took the lead through local hero Ferran Torres from FC Barcelona (75th). Myrto Uzunidas from Granada FC surprisingly equalized for the guests (85th). Olmo then scored in the 90th minute for the Spaniards, who have not celebrated a major international triumph since winning the European Championship ten years ago. England, Switzerland and Spain have qualified for the World Cup in Qatar later this year. The eight World Cup groups with 32 participants will be drawn in Doha on April 1st.