Thursday 17th June 2021
Emotional EM moment
A stadium applauds for Eriksen
A game is stopped. A whole stadium rises and applauds for Christian Eriksen. Emotional scenes at the European Championship game between Denmark and Belgium. It’s the first game for the Scandinavians after the collapse.
There was an emotional moment in the European Championship game between Denmark and Belgium. In the 10th minute, both teams stopped the game. The 25,000 spectators in Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium rose from their seats when the score was 1-0 for the hosts and applauded for a minute. The Dutch referee Björn Kuippers also joined. Striker Yussuf Poulsen had already scored for the hosts after 100 seconds. “All of Denmark is with you,” read a banner held up behind the gate.
Both teams and the spectators in the Parken Stadium paid their respects to Christian Eriksen, who collapsed on the pitch last Saturday. The 29-year-old is still in inpatient treatment. As the Danish Football Association announced, he will now be fitted with an ICD defibrillator. This small device, similar to a cardiac pacemaker, is implanted in people who are at increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms.
“Belgium loves you, Christian”, read a banner in the Parken Stadium. Before the kick-off, a large Denmark jersey with the number 10 and the inscription Eriksen was presented on the square in the Parken Stadium. Before the game, the Belgian national team presented the Danes with a shirt from Belgium signed by all players with Eriksen’s name and number.
The Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku had already announced the action in advance of the game. “We’ll applaud and create a special moment,” said Lukaku in advance of the game. “I wrote to him and got a message from him. He wrote me that he was okay. After that I left him alone because he needs time to relax now. But I’ll text him a message after the game “said the Belgian.
The two-time goalscorer for the Belgians in their opening win against Russia plays for the club together with Eriksen. He dedicated his first goal to the Dane. “Chris, I love you,” he called into the camera. The game between Russia and Belgium was kicked off after the delayed continuation of the Denmark game after the Eriksen shock.
Final training not in the stadium
Eriksen is currently in the Rigshospitalet. The hospital is within sight of the Parken Stadium. “It’s a crazy situation for him,” said Danish coach Kasper Hjulmand. He had planned a special tactic for the Belgium game for a long time and Eriksen would play a key role in it. But now the Inter-Milan professional is only a spectator. Unlike usual, Denmark did not complete the final training in parking, but in their base station in Helsingborg.
However, after Saturday’s shock moment, the players were able to voluntarily visit the stadium and some accepted the offer. They didn’t want to be overwhelmed by the feelings of arriving before the Belgium game. “Everyone will react differently,” said Leipzig professional Yussuf Poulsen. “We will not only play for Christian. We will play for our identity and for the whole of Denmark, which has seen what happened to us. We are not finished with this tournament yet,” said coach Hjulmand.
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