COPENHAGEN: Denmark star Christian Eriksen was awake in hospital, the Danish Football Union said on Saturday, after he collapsed on the pitch during the Euro 2020 game against Finland in Copenhagen. "Christian Eriksen is awake and is undergoing further tests" at the hospital, the Danish federation said on Twitter, after the player was carried off the field having received CPR by medical personnel.
UEFA said Eriksen had been "stabilised" after the match was suspended in the first half. European football's governing body added that a "crisis meeting" had taken place with both teams and match officials over whether to restart the game.
Group B's opening match was stopped after Eriksen fell to the earth near the touchline at the end of the first half, with Danish players in tears as medical staff tried to revive the Inter Milan player. The previously raucous crowd at the Parken Stadium in the Danish capital fell silent, with the 29-year-old's teammates gathering around him to stop anyone from seeing his on-pitch treatment.
Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and captain Simon Kjaer had to comfort Eriksen's stricken partner Sabrina Kvist Jensen by the side of the pitch. After around 15 minutes Eriksen was stretchered off the field followed by the rest of the Denmark team, while Finland's players also walked off.
The fans in the stadium, who were celebrating the chance to see their national team again live at the stadium, sat silently in their seats waiting for news of Eriksen's condition. However soon after stadium-wide chants of "Christian" and "Eriksen" from both sets of supporters began to ring out as his status began to filter through to supporters.
They were brought to their feet when stadium announcers said that Eriksen was "stable".