Days after collapsing and suffering a cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match, Danish soccer star Christian Eriksen said he was doing “fine” on Tuesday — “under the circumstances.”
Eriksen, 29, had to be resuscitated after he dropped to the ground unexpectedly during Denmark’s opening game against Finland on Saturday.
As Eriksen lay unconscious on the field and medics rushed to give him CPR, his teammates crowded around him in visible distress. Some 15,000 fans in the stands fell into hushed silence while millions more watched the incident live on TV.
He was eventually taken to hospital awake and in stable condition.
In his first public comments since the incident, Eriksen posted a selfie to Instagram from a hospital bed Tuesday, thanking everyone for the “sweet and amazing greetings and messages from all around the world.”
Eriksen said the support means a lot to him and his family, adding that he still has to undergo some medical examinations, but was feeling well.
Denmark’s team doctor, Morten Boesen, said Sunday that Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest and “was gone” before being resuscitated with a defibrillator.
Boesen said he did not have an explanation for why Eriksen experienced a cardiac arrest.
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“Now, I will cheer on the boys on the Denmark team in the next matches,” Eriksen wrote in his post in English.
Saturday’s match had to be suspended as viewers around the world watched in terror as the incident unfolded in real time.
It was resumed the same day and Denmark went on to lose to Finland, 0-1. The decision to restart the game not long after Eriksen’s collapse has been criticized, including by Denmark’s coach Kasper Hjulmand, because of the emotional toll the incident has taken on both teams.
Eriksen, one of Denmark’s biggest stars, spoke to the team via video link on Sunday, which his teammates said was an important boost as they try to re-focus on the tournament.
Denmark’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg said the team, which has been receiving psychological support, wanted to carry on in the competition “to play for Christian,” according to the Associated Press.
The team trained on Monday after the players were given Sunday off to process the incident.
It’s not clear whether Eriksen will be able to resume his acclaimed soccer career that has seen him play for Ajax, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan, as well as playing more than 100 times for his national side.
Denmark faces Belgium next on Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
