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Denmark overcome Eriksen’s trauma to get to Round of 16

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Denmark’s supporters clap and hold a banner in support of Denmark’s midfielder Christian Eriksen during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group B football match between Denmark and Belgium at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on June 17, 2021. (Photo by WOLFGANG RATTAY / POOL / AFP)

Denmark overcame the shock and trauma of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest during their opening game  against Finland to qualify for the knockout phase as the second-placed team in Group B despite losing their first two matches.

After being revived on the pitch in Copenhagen, Eriksen spent six days in hospital after his collapse,  undergoing surgery to have a defibrillator implanted.

“We dealt with a very traumatic experience and the same night we kept playing. We played one of the best teams in the world (Belgium) a couple of days later and we beat Russia playing very intensely,” said coach Kasper Hjulmand.

“It shows the power we possess, both physical and mental.”

-AFP

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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