Fear at Euro football: Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed in the middle of a match, Saturday, June 12, in Copenhagen, during Denmark’s first match against Finland. The player, whose discomfort aroused intense emotion, was transported “Awake” to a hospital in the Danish capital.
After a long period of worry and uncertainty, the news about his state of health was reassuring and the Denmark-Finland game, interrupted just before the break when the player felt unwell, resumed at 8:30 p.m. after“It has been confirmed to the players that Eriksen is OK”, according to the Danish federation. “He is conscious and can speak”, added his agent Martin Schoots, very moved, on the Dutch channel NOS.
“It’s a national shock that has become a national relief, summed up Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on social media. Rarely has it seemed so unimportant whether a game has been won or lost. “
“Events like that put things in perspective, I wish Christian a quick and complete recovery”, reacted the president of the UEFA, the Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin. After this huge fear, Denmark lost 1-0 at home, on the second day of Euro football.
Players in tears
Just before the break in the Group B game against Finland, Christian Eriksen, star of his national team and Inter Milan, suddenly collapsed on the pitch, his eyes rolled back. The match was immediately interrupted, the medical supervision of the Danish team intervened, quickly joined by the medical services of the tournament. His partners gathered to form a circle around the 29-year-old midfielder, some of them in tears.
After long minutes while medical services performed cardiac massage, the referee officially sent the two teams back to the locker room. The Inter Milan player was finally evacuated on a stretcher, still escorted by his teammates. The 16,000 or so spectators, the vast majority Danish, including his companion, who came to the edge of the pitch, were stunned. In photographs taken by AFP, we see the player on his stretcher, looking haggard and his hand raised to the forehead.
The meeting was immediately “Suspended due to a medical emergency”, announced UEFA on the tournament’s Twitter account, without giving further details. The European body then clarified that it was “In stable condition”. For its part, the Danish Football Federation (DBU) was reassuring by indicating that he was “Awake” and that he was undergoing tests at the main hospital in Copenhagen.
“Forza”
These particularly chilling images, which sent football fans back to other dramas that have occurred on the ground in recent years, such as the death of Cameroonian Marc-Vivien Foé in the middle of a match in 2003, immediately aroused a wave of emotion in the region. round ball world.
The Dane has been named the player of the Euro fixture, UEFA announced. “Football is a superb sport and Christian plays it superbly”, explained the European body, taking up the message published earlier by its president Aleksander Ceferin. “Tonight’s player of the game is Christian Eriksen. We wish you a quick recovery, Christian ”, added UEFA on its Twitter account.
In the stands, the Finnish supporters chanted the name of the Dane. In Italy, the Lega Serie A, which organizes the Italian Championship, supported Eriksen, on Twitter with the message “Forza” (“Courage”). Football stars, such as Croatian Luka Modric or his club, Real Madrid, also gave their messages of support. “Courage Chris, all our thoughts are with you”, Inter tweeted.
The other group B meeting pitted Belgium against Russia in Saint Petersburg (9 p.m. / 7 p.m. GMT), in an atmosphere cooled by this incident, especially as Belgium has striker Romelu Lukaku in its ranks. , Eriksen’s teammate at Inter. “I cried before the meeting, admitted Lukaku. It was very hard for me to play because all my thoughts were with Christian Eriksen. “
According to RTBF, Roberto Martinez said that Belgian players who play at Inter or have played with Eriksen (Alderweireld, Vertonghen and Chadli at Tottenham) were “Very moved”.
England press conference canceled
England canceled their traditional press conference ahead of their first Euro match against Croatia on Sunday at Wembley due to the serious unease suffered by Christian Eriksen.
“In light of the disturbing events in Copenhagen and with the support and agreement of UEFA, the media activities scheduled for tonight have been canceled”, reacted the English federation (FA) twenty minutes before the scheduled time for the conference. “Our thoughts tonight are with Christian Eriksen and his family, and all those in relation to the Danish football federation”, also added the FA.
During the press conference, coach Gareth Southgate, but also Three Lions captain Harry Kane, Eriksen’s former teammate at Tottenham, faced questions from journalists.