Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch midway through the second half of Denmark's friendly match against Ukraine on Sunday in Odense. The 34-year-old clutched his chest and fell to the ground about 10 yards from where the ball was. Medical personnel rushed to his aid in distressing scenes almost five years after he suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
Players from both teams formed a huddle around Eriksen as he received treatment on the pitch. The match was subsequently abandoned, and Eriksen was taken to Odense University Hospital with his wife Sabrina by his side. Fans inside the stadium sang Eriksen's name and clapped while medical staff treated him.
A statement from the Danish Football Association later revealed that Eriksen was conscious and doing well in the circumstances. A message displayed on the big screen inside the stadium in Odense confirmed that the match was over and that Eriksen was in good condition given the situation.
Medical Update and Doctor Comments
Around 10 minutes later, Danish national team doctor Morten Boesen provided fans with a further update. Boesen, who was credited with saving Eriksen's life in 2021, said: "Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should."
Boesen explained that Eriksen was briefly unconscious but regained consciousness very quickly. He added: "Now he will be examined further at the hospital to find out what caused the incident. We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital. But Christian is doing well. He asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was OK."
Eriksen received treatment for around 10 minutes before making his way off the pitch to a standing ovation. He currently plays for German club Wolfsburg after leaving Manchester United last year.
Player Reactions and Tributes
Former Denmark star Nicklas Bendtner, who was covering the match as a TV pundit, fought back tears as he watched the incident. Bendtner said: "These are horrible pictures, and it completely overshadows the rest of the evening. My thoughts are with the family and the children, and it's a difficult situation to be in right now. This is the second time it has happened, and as Christian's friend also... it's really terrible."
Several of Eriksen's Denmark team-mates broke down in tears on the pitch. Players from both sides accompanied Eriksen to a waiting ambulance while holding up a privacy screen around him. They later gathered in a central huddle and walked around the stadium to thank the supporters.
Current and former clubs quickly offered support to the midfielder. Wolfsburg confirmed they were in close contact with the Danish Football Association and wished him a speedy recovery. Manchester United stated that everybody at the club was encouraged by the positive update, while Tottenham Hotspur and former Inter Milan team-mate Ashley Young also sent prayers and best wishes. Ukraine head coach Andrea Maldera declined to take press conference questions, stating: "Out of respect for him - it would not be right to talk about football right now."
Previous Euro 2020 Collapse
The incident comes after Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on June 12, 2021, during Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland. His heart stopped for roughly five minutes, and he later stated that he had died for five minutes. Medical staff administered CPR on the pitch before transferring him to a hospital where he was stabilised.
Eriksen returned to professional football eight months later with Brentford after being fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a type of pacemaker that Doctor Boesen indicated may have saved his life during Sunday's collapse. Speaking to BBC Sport in 2022, Eriksen recalled waking up in the ambulance and hearing someone ask how long he had been unconscious.
Following his spell at Brentford in 2022, Eriksen played three seasons for Manchester United before transferring to Wolfsburg last summer.
Friendly Match Context
Sunday's fixture was Eriksen's 151st cap for the Danish national team. Denmark had held a 2-1 lead prior to the stoppage, with goals from Manchester United player Patrick Dorgu and Joakim Maehle, while Viktor Tsygankov scored for Ukraine. Both nations were playing the friendly fixture after being eliminated in the World Cup play-offs in March.