It was a scene out of a nightmare.
Fans could not believe what they were watching.
A star athlete died on the field but what happened next saved the day.
29-year-old Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed falling face first to the ground after completing a pass during the first half of Denmark’s first game in the 2020 European Soccer championships against Finland.
Players on the field frantically waved for medical attention and the game immediately stopped.
Doctors erected a tent around Eriksen as they administered medical treatment, leaving the fans in the stadium and those watching on TV to pray for the best.
Eriksen was eventually removed from the field and taken to a hospital, but team doctor Morten Boesen told reporters that Eriksen was clinically dead before CPR brought him back to life.
Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen has confirmed Christian Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest and that ”he was gone” before he was resuscitated.
Boesen says ”we got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast. … How close were we? I don't know.” #EURO2020— Mattias Karén (@MattiasKaren) June 13, 2021
After a lengthy delay, officials agreed to resume the game after players said Eriksen wanted the match to continue.
Finland ended up winning the game 1-0 and notching three crucial points in group play that boosted their chances of advancing to the knockout round.
But the result of the game was by far and away the least important aspect of what transpired as everyone breathed a sigh of relief when reports came back that Eriksen’s condition stabilized and that he would be ok.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
