Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen has confirmed Christian Eriksen is doing well following a frightening on-field collapse during the country’s clash with Ukraine.
The incident occurred in the second half of the match, with Denmark leading Ukraine 2-1 when Eriksen went down and required immediate medical attention on the pitch.
Emergency services transported the 34-year-old midfielder to hospital via ambulance, with the game subsequently abandoned by officials.
In an encouraging sign for supporters, Eriksen was reported to have walked to the ambulance unaided, drawing applause and chants of his name from fans of both sides.
Boesen delivered a positive medical assessment, pointing to Eriksen’s implanted pacemaker as the likely cause of the incident behaving exactly as designed.
“Christian is doing well and walked off the pitch himself. As I see it, the pacemaker gave a shock, as it is supposed to,” Boesen said.
“He was briefly out, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him. Now he needs to be examined further at the hospital to find out what caused the incident.”
Boesen also passed on a personal message from Eriksen to his teammates, confirming the player had been in direct contact with medical staff.
“We are continuously in contact with him and the doctors at the hospital. But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to say hello to all the players and say that he was okay,” Boesen added.
Denmark head coach Brian Riemer described his emotional reaction to witnessing the scene unfold from the sidelines during the match in Odense.
“I feel empty. I’m looking forward to seeing him. I’ll drive over to him now, when I can. I need to see him, I can feel it. And talk to him,” Riemer told Tipsbladet.
Riemer, who previously worked with Eriksen at Brentford, spoke openly about the personal bond he shares with the midfielder beyond their professional relationship.
“He is a man who has meant a lot to me. Some players you get closer to than others, and he was one of those I got close to at Brentford,” the Denmark boss said.
Riemer admitted he did not initially recognise the severity of the situation when Eriksen first fell to the ground during the second-half action.
“I saw the situation out of the corner of my eye and just thought that Christian was tackled. But I realised that it was something completely different,” he said.
The coach praised his players for immediately rallying around their stricken teammate, noting his own effort to stay composed amid the chaos.
“The players formed a ring around Christian. I tried to keep an overview of how we should approach it all,” Riemer added.
This is not the first time Eriksen has faced such a terrifying moment, having suffered a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 while Denmark faced Finland, before making a remarkable full recovery.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United midfielder has continued his international career following that earlier incident, inspiring supporters and players around the world.
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