News Focus
- Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine on Sunday
- The 34-year-old midfielder briefly lost consciousness but recovered quickly and walked off the pitch
- Doctors say his heart device worked correctly and he is now in hospital for further tests
- The match in Odense was abandoned in the 65th minute after the incident
- Eriksen suffered a similar collapse during the Euro 2020 tournament against Finland
Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen is conscious and stable after collapsing during an international friendly against Ukraine. The incident happened in the 65th minute of the match in Odense.
Television pictures showed the 34-year-old holding his chest before falling on the pitch. Medical staff ran onto the pitch immediately. Players from both teams formed a circle around Eriksen to give him privacy while doctors treated him.
The Danish Football Union released a statement on social media platform X. They confirmed that Eriksen was awake and recovering well under the circumstances.
Doctor Morten Boesen gave more details about the incident. He saved Eriksen’s life during a similar collapse in 2021. “Christian is doing well. He walked off the pitch by himself,” Boesen said. “His pacemaker responded as it should. He was unconscious for a short time but woke up very quickly.”
Boesen explained that Eriksen will have more medical tests at the hospital. “We need to find out what caused this problem. We are talking to him and the hospital doctors regularly. Christian sent his best wishes to all the players and told them he is OK.”
Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg saw the incident happen. “I saw Christian falling on the pitch. We know what this means because of his history,” Hojbjerg told TV2. “Everyone reacted very fast. I want to praise the medical team for their courage. It was a big shock for everyone. The most important thing is that Christian is well.”
After the match was abandoned, players and coaches from both countries stood together in a circle on the pitch. Denmark coach Brian Riemer thanked everyone for their support.
“Christian is doing well. He left the pitch and sent messages to the team,” Riemer said. “Now we must stay together. You saw how dignified everyone was on the pitch. We need to support each other during this difficult time.”
This is the second time Eriksen has collapsed while playing for Denmark. In 2021, he suffered a cardiac arrest during a European Championship match against Finland in Copenhagen. Doctor Boesen gave him life-saving CPR treatment on the pitch.
After that incident, doctors fitted Eriksen with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD). This special device helps control heart rhythm problems.
The ICD caused problems with his club career at the time. Italian rules stopped him from playing for Inter Milan while wearing the device. The club ended his contract in 2021.
Eriksen returned to football in England in January 2022. He first signed with Brentford. Then he moved to Manchester United that summer. He played 107 games for United and scored eight goals. He won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
He left Manchester United when his contract finished in 2025. He now plays for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.