The logo of the UEFA European Championship football competition is displayed next to the Euro trophy during a launch event in London, United Kingdom on September 21, 2016.
Kate Green |Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland resumed Saturday nearly two hours after Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen collapsed in the first half of the game.
The star midfielder was walking alone near the sideline around the 42nd minute when he appeared to stumble and then fall forward. His teammates urged trainers to rush to his aid.
Eriksen’s teammates then formed a ring around him as medics performed CPR.
Players from both teams were in tears, as the stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark, fell silent, NBC Sports reported.
“Please God,” Fabrice Muamba, the former Bolton Wanderers midfielder who collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest during a televised FA Cup game in 2012, wrote in a tweet.
Eriksen, 29, was taken off the field on a stretcher after needing medical attention for about 10 minutes. He was then transferred to a hospital, where he is stable, according to the Union of European Football Associations.
Eriksen is awake, according to Denmark’s soccer governing body. However, further examinations will be conducted, officials said.
The game was suspended due to the medical emergency, but UEFA “agreed to restart the match” after receiving requests from players of both teams.
leksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, said in a statement that “moments like this put everything in life into perspective. I wish Christian a full and speedy recovery and pray his family has strength and faith.”
“At these times, the unity of the football family is so strong and he and his family carry with them the good wishes and prayers of everyone. I heard of fans of both teams chanting his name. Football is beautiful and Christian plays it beautifully,” he added.
