Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field against Finland.
Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed to the field late in the first half of his team’s game against Finland at Euro 2020 on Saturday in Copenhagen.
Eriksen was walking alone near the sideline in the 42nd minute when he appeared to stumble and then fall forward. His teammates immediately sensed urgent trouble, rushing to him and waving frantically for trainers to come to his aid.
The players, some of them in tears, then formed a circle to shield Eriksen as the medical teams performed urgent care on the player as he lay on the grass. At one point, television images showed a trainer performing chest compressions on Eriksen.UEFA, the tournament organizer, tweeted that Eriksen had been taken to the hospital and “stabilized.”
Following the medical emergency involving Denmark's player Christian Eriksen, a crisis meeting has taken place with both teams and match officials and further information will be communicated at 19:45 CET.
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 12, 2021
The player has been transferred to the hospital and has been stabilised.
The incident happened in the 43rd minute of a scoreless game. Play has been suspended, and both teams have left the field.
Trainers and medical teams worked on Eriksen on the field for nearly 20 minutes before transferring him onto a stretcher and carrying him off the field. As he left, he appeared to be awake on the stretcher, resting his hand on his forehead.
Eriksen’s collapse and subsequent treatment left the crowd in Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium nearly silent, and Denmark’s players struggling to hide their emotions. Denmark’s captain, Simon Kjaer, stayed by his teammate’s side until help arrived. He and goalkeeper Kaspar Schmeichel then moved to midfield to comfort Eriksen’s partner, Sabrina Kvist Jensen, when she rushed onto the field.
Eriksen, a 29-year-old who plays for the Italian champion Inter Milan, has been a fixture for Denmark for more than a decade. He led the team to the World Cup in 2018, where it advanced to the round of 16.