What happened to Christian Eriksen? Denmark footballer pictured after collapse and cardiac arrest at Euro 2020

Eriksen has been pictured in public for the first time since collapsing on the pitch during Denmark's opening game of the Euros football tournament against Finland
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Christian Eriksen has been pictured in public for the first time since the midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark's opening Euro 2020 fixture against Finland

The Danish star collapsed towards the end of the first half of the Group B fixture and required CPR before being taken to hospital for further examination.

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As he was being treated on the pitch during the televised game, Eriksen's team-mates formed a protective wall around the Inter Milan player in an effort to protect his privacy.

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The Danish Football Association later issued a statement confirming Eriksen was "awake" and "stable" following the shocking incident at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

Eriksen released a short statement days later and had a cardioverter defibrillator implanted in hospital – and now appears healthy when posing for a picture with a young Denmark fan.

Christian Eriksen of Denmark (red shirt) in action against Finland at Euro 2020 before he later collapsed on the pitch. (Pic: Getty Images)Christian Eriksen of Denmark (red shirt) in action against Finland at Euro 2020 before he later collapsed on the pitch. (Pic: Getty Images)
Christian Eriksen of Denmark (red shirt) in action against Finland at Euro 2020 before he later collapsed on the pitch. (Pic: Getty Images)

What has Eriksen said?

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In his first public message since being taken ill, Eriksen says he "feels better" in a short statement released through his representatives to the Italian media.

It read: "Thank you, I won't give up. I feel better now - but I want to understand what's happened. I want to say thank you all for what you did for me."

The update will come as welcome news to the football community and beyond who were shocked by events of Saturday 12 June, as Eriksen collapsed on the pitch.

Eriksen’s long-time girlfriend was in the stands watching the match and could be seen being consoled by Danish players Simon Kjaer and Kasper Schmeichel.

What have the doctors said?

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Doctors confirmed Eriksen was "gone" for a short period on the pitch but were able to revive the 29-year-old before he was transported to hospital to recover.

Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen said: “He was gone. We started the resuscitation and we managed to do it. How close were we to losing him? I don’t know, but we got him back after one defib [defibrillation], so that’s quite fast.”

Boesen said the speed at which Eriksen received medical attention played a big factor.

“How quickly they reacted was decisive I would say,” he said. “The time from when it happens until he receives help is the most important factor. And that was a short period of time. That was decisive.”

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Boesen told reporters that Eriksen was answering questions clearly in hospital on Sunday when the midfielder had spoken to his team-mates.

Did the Denmark v Finland match finish?

The match was brought to a premature halt by English referee Anthony Taylor who sent both sets of players back down the tunnel as Eriksen received treatment in the stadium.

But, while the match had stopped, the TV cameras kept rolling, as photographers snapped images of the scene.

The BBC received some criticism for continuing to show the live feed which included scenes of distress.

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It said in a statement: “Everyone at the BBC is hoping Christian Eriksen makes a full recovery. We apologise to anyone who was upset by the images broadcast. In stadium coverage is controlled by Uefa as the host broadcaster, and as soon as the match was suspended we took our coverage off air as quickly as possible."

There was a 90-minute break before the match restarted in a game Finland went on to win 1-0.

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