The football world was shook to the core as one of the world’s renowned midfielders suffered a cardiac arrest during the run of play. During the match Denmark versus Finland, Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch. His heart had stopped and he “was gone” for a period of time as per Morten Boesen, the team doctor of the Denmark national team.
Although a sad story, since this incident may spell the end of his football career, the situation could have easily had a turn for the worse as Eriksen was on the brink. On the other hand, this incident can be perceived as a tribute to the heroes of Denmark, who acted quickly to save his life.
The player fell to the ground as he received a throw-in. At that moment in time, no one was next to him. After a few seconds it became evidently clear that something was terribly wrong as he was lying motionless. Such instances remind us of other players that suffered similar ailments on a football pitch, shocking thousands of football fans worldwide.
Such scenarios require haste and Denmark’s captain and experienced defender Simon Kjaer did not disappoint. He understood the severity of the situation, rushing to push Eriksen to the side, making sure that his airway was open. He was praised by the team doctors for having played an important role in saving Eriksen’s life.
For those viewing this horrific incident on television, it was clear that the situation was critical. The defibrillator was procured quickly and used to revive Eriksen. After one shock, he was awake, which is deemed to be quite fast. The team had surrounded Eriksen to allow for privacy as he was being treated. Some of the touching pictures published by the media include Simon Kjaer and Kasper Schmeichel comforting Eriksen’s partner and mother of his two children. Another picture which was published was that of him leaving the stadium on a stretcher, with his eyes open.
On that very same day, once the player was confirmed to be stable in hospital, the match resumed. Many argued that the Danish players were in no condition to play after the trauma.
Christian Eriksen was discharged from hospital a few days ago. He underwent surgery to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator inserted. This would shock the heart into action if the same arrest takes place. Time will tell if this is needed on a permanent basis and following further review and analysis will it be determined if he can resume his playing career.
