Christian Eriksen experiences cardiac arrest incident.
"Christian Eriksen, the Man of Emotions at the UEFA European Championship, Goal at This Tournament: It's Denmark's Christian Eriksen who's lighting up the emotions. Not everyone believed in great things for him, but his performance against Slovenia was something else.
The goal brings a rush of unforgettable feelings. Denmark's Christian Eriksen scores the first goal for his team at the UEFA European Championship, making a comeback to the stage. It's been 1100 days since Eriksen suffered a heart attack on the pitch during the continental European championship. Cardiac arrest, a fight for life, resuscitation.
Now, armed with a defibrillator, he's back in the hearts of all fans and soccer enthusiasts. In the 17th minute, it's 1-1 against Slovenia. A cross from the right reaches the penalty area, Jonas Wind's backheel extends Eriksen's run. The 32-year-old takes the ball and fires it into the bottom left corner with his right foot. The joy from him, from his coach Kasper Hjulmand, from his team, is immense. "He's got something truly special. He played a fantastic game for us today and is the playmaker of our team," says Hjulmand. It's a blend of contrasting emotions.
Three years and four days have passed since the moment when Eriksen nearly died. He was dead for five minutes, as he puts it himself during Denmark's EURO opener against Finland. All of Europe held its breath as he collapsed on the pitch without any external influence.
If it were a script for a movie, a voice could appear in Eriksen's mind: "Christian," the voice says, "you've come a long way. Your heart is tired. You're tired. But it's not over yet. You still have something to achieve." A bolt of lightning strikes him, and Christian Eriksen returns to where they didn't expect him yet. He's tired, but he still has something to achieve. Another bolt of lightning, and life returns. He hears the stunned silence, the fear, the grief. It's not over yet. Yes, he still has something to achieve.
Hardly anyone dared to hope, but Eriksen not only lives, but he's been playing football again for a long time. A defibrillator was implanted in him, which cost him his career at Inter Milan. Italy doesn't allow people with implanted defibrillators to engage in contact sports because blows to the device could cause malfunctions. FC Brentford from the Premier League signed him, from there it went on to league rival Manchester United.
At the EURO 2021, his teammates drew energy from the drama and motivation of the hospitalized Eriksen and made it to the semifinals, losing only to England. In Qatar, at the Desert World Cup, Eriksen was already part of the team again. Denmark, however, were already eliminated in the group stage. The return to the EURO stage is much more emotional for Eriksen and Denmark.
"He's our heart"'
Everything reminds us before the kickoff about the drama. Eriksen himself seems to have coped well with it: "My goal was to return to the highest level when I was told that I could still play football. It's been three years now, and I haven't forgotten what happened. But there's nothing that holds me back. I'm just happy to play."
However, the discussions about his person in Denmark have long been about more than his heart attack. Instead, his value for the team is being debated. "Christian has a high football intelligence and the ability to position himself wisely," gushed Hjulmand: "He's our heart, he's our man on the field, who can dictate the game. When he plays well, we also play well." Rasmus Højlund, his striking partner, also said: Eriksen is a "World-class player" and will be "very important for the team at the EM."
But not everyone saw it that way in advance. He had not gotten much playing time at Manchester United, and in the club's crisis, he was not the first choice of coach Erik ten Hag. And so some experts meowed: "He must prove that he's not just shining like in the March test against the Faroe Islands," said 1992 European Champion Flemming Povlsen to "Sport Bild": "Christian must lift himself and show that he can still lead Denmark." And former national player Thomas Gravesen meowed: The Eriksen, "the one we all know, that one is no longer there."
"Man of the Match", but not entirely happy
In the match against Slovenia, Eriksen now shows that his team can certainly build on him. He takes control of the game right away. The Danes combine brilliantly towards the Slovenian goal, barely letting the opponent breathe. In the 17th minute, the Eriksen fairy tale is perfect for the time being. "Everything that goes beyond the game will be better for me than the last time," Eriksen had said before the game. However, he wasn't entirely happy. He admitted that he still had moments of doubt, but he was determined to continue playing with his heart."
Yet, the final outcome isn't overly cheese-filled and sentimental, but Slovenia certainly is. Erik Janza (77) manages to score the equalizer, which might have been a tough pill to swallow for Denmark. For Eriksen, however, the tournament continues. As "Man of the Match" - and more significantly - in good health and high spirits, eager for the beautiful game. "This time my EURO experience is fortunately nothing like my last one," so Eriksen shares: "All I had in mind was that I had never met anyone at a EURO before - that's all. I would have been much more content if we had won." A grand, joyful culmination might still be on the cards.
Read also:
"Despite facing challenges in his career due to the implantation of a defibrillator, Christian Eriksen secures a place in the UEFA European Championship 2024 squad with FC Brentford. His teammates look forward to his leadership as they aim for victory in the European Football Championship."
"As the European Football Championship 2024 draws closer, Soccer fans around the world eagerly anticipate witnessing Denmark's star player, Christian Eriksen, once again lighting up the field with his exceptional skills, bringing back the emotions of the 2021 tournament where his presence played a significant role in their semifinals finish."
