Christian Eriksen is conscious and “doing well under the circumstances” after collapsing while playing for Denmark in a friendly match against Ukraine.
The 34-year-old, who suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 group-stage match against Finland, appeared to clutch his chest in the second half of Sunday’s game in Odense before falling to the ground.
Medical staff rushed onto the pitch to assist him, while players formed a protective circle around the midfielder.
Eriksen received treatment for approximately 13 minutes before returning to his feet. As he left the field, thousands of supporters inside Nature Energy Park gave him a standing ovation while chanting his name.
Referee Sigurd Smehus Kringstad subsequently decided to abandon the match with around 65 minutes played.
It was later confirmed that Eriksen, who remained conscious, was taken to hospital by ambulance with his wife Sabrina by his side.
In a statement, the Danish Football Association said: “Christian Eriksen is conscious and feeling well according to the circumstances. The match has been called off.”
Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen also confirmed that Eriksen’s pacemaker functioned as intended during the incident.
“Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch by himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should,” Boesen said.
“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.
“He will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident. We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital.
“But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was okay.”
Following his collapse at Euro 2020, Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device designed to deliver defibrillation when a person’s heart rate exceeds safe levels.
Denmark were leading 2-1 when the incident occurred. Patrick Dorgu and Joakim Mæhle scored for the hosts, while Viktor Tsyhankov had reduced the deficit for Ukraine shortly before half-time.
