Denmark’s Christian Eriksen is to watch his country’s second group game of Euro 2020 wearing his full Danes kit from his hospital bed. Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening match against Finland on Saturday.
Now, Denmark face one of the tournament’s favourites Belgium in the second match of the group stages with Eriksen watching the game from his hospital bed.
Eriksen is based in Rigshospitalet, which is just a ten minute walk from Denmark’s Parken Stadium in Copenhagen where the Danes take on Belgium tonight.
Despite the traumatic events on Saturday, Eriksen has thankfully recovered and was in high spirits, posting this positive message on Instagram.
“Big thanks for your sweet and amazing greetings and messages from all around the world. It means a lot to me and my family”, he wrote.
“I’m fine – under the circumstances. I still have to go through some examinations at the hospital, but I feel okay”.
“Now, I will cheer on the boys on the Denmark team in the next matches. Play for all of Denmark. Best, Christian”. More on that here.
Eriksen will “be in his shirt”
“Christian will watch the game. It is really crazy”, Denmark’s manager Kasper Hjumland said.
“The hospital is right next to Parken and when he looks out of his window he will see it and probably hear everything”, he continued.
The manager added, “That is crazy for Christian but he will be in his shirt and watch the game on TV”.
Eriksen has also been allegedly giving his team mates tips on how to stop Belgium’s striker and his Inter Milan colleague, Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku is already up and running in this tournament, scoring twice in Belgium’s opening group stage win over Russia.
“It is not easy to stop Lukaku but we have been talking about him”, Hjumland said.
“He is one of the best strikers out there right now and when he does his things he is very difficult to stop”, he added.
“It is easier to stop balls going into him than stopping Lukaku with the ball”.
Lukaku himself, confirmed that the Belgium players will kick the ball out of play after the 10th minute of tonight’s game and give a minute’s applause to Christian Eriksen. The 10th minute was chosen as Eriksen wears number 10 for Denmark.
Both sets of players will also take part in this minute’s applause.
“rhythm disturbances”
It has recently emerged that Eriksen will be fitted with an ICD, a heart defibrillator. National team doctor, Morten Boesen has been in touch with the cardiac specialist at Rigshospitalet and Eriksen.
A series of tests were carried out, and it has been reported that Eriksen will have this potentially life-saving implant installed.
“After Christian has been through different heart examinations it has been decided that he should have an ICD (heart starter). This device is necessary after a cardiac attack due to rhythm disturbances”, Dr Boesen said.
“Christian has accepted the solution and the plan has moreover been confirmed by specialists nationally and internationally who all recommend the same treatment”, he added.
“We encourage everybody to give Christian and his family peace and privacy the following time”.
