Christian Eriksen has been discharged from hospital in Copenhagen following a successful operation. The Denmark midfielder had been at Rigshospitalet in the capital since suffering a cardiac arrest in Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 game against Finland.
Eriksen, 29, has been fitted with a heart regulating device called an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator), which sits under the skin and connects to the heart via small wires with the purpose of maintain a regular heartbeat.
“Christian Eriksen has been through a successful operation and was today discharged,” the Danish Football Association said in a statement on Friday. “Today he also visited the national team in Helsingor - and from there he will go home and spend time with his family.”
Eriksen was treated on the field with emergency CPR and the match was suspended, before the players returned later that evening to play out a 1-0 win to Finland.
Denmark’s players took the field again on Thursday against Belgium, losing 2-1. Both teams stopped playing after 10 minutes to salute Eriksen, the Danish No10, with applause.
Eriksen added: “Thank you for the massive number of greetings. It has been incredible to see and feel. The operation went well, and I am doing well under the circumstances. It was really great to see the guys again after a fantastic game they played last night. No need to say that I will be cheering them on Monday against Russia.”
An emergency doctor who treated Eriksen has spoken about the moment the player regained consciousness. The doctor was watching the match after taking part in a session with the medical team earlier that day. He has opened up about seeing the medical staff struggle with the situation and so intervened.
Kleinfeld told Bild: “I was in the stands on the opposite side as he collapsed. At first I didn’t think anything of it. But then I saw how the Danish team doctor was acting in quite a hectic manner. I recognised that it was no normal injury.
“The players had their heads in their hands. At which point I gave the sideline team a sign and they ran on to the pitch. They had a defibrillator with them. I then told my colleagues I was sitting with in the stands: ‘We have to go on to the pitch.’”
The Independent
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