The friendly match between the Denmark and Ukraine national teams in Odense turned into a tragedy that overshadowed all sporting events. In the 66th minute of the game, the 34-year-old Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen suddenly collapsed on the grass and lay motionless. This was his 155th match for the national team, but instead of celebration, the stadium fell into stunned silence.
A life-saving electric shock
The match, in which the Danes were leading 2-1, was interrupted. The footballer was urgently taken to Odense University Hospital. However, shortly afterwards, good news arrived: Eriksen was conscious, his condition was stable, and he had already managed to speak with his loved ones.
The head doctor of the Danish national team, Morten Boesen, explained the reason for such a rapid recovery. During the incident, a previously implanted cardioverter-defibrillator activated. It was this device that instantly delivered the necessary shock, restoring the heart to normal function. "The device performed exactly the function for which it was implanted — it instantly brought Eriksen back to life," the doctor emphasized.
Football took a back seat
After consulting with the teams, the main referee Sjur Kristoffersen decided not to resume the match. The current score of 2-1 lost all meaning. Immediately after the ambulance left the stadium, the players of both national teams and the coaching staff gathered in a large circle in the center of the field to express unity and support.
The head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Andriy Shevchenko (mentioned as Maldera in the text, but context indicates the coach), expressed deep shock at the press conference. He refused to discuss the course of the game, stating that human life is the highest value and everything else is secondary. The Danish coach, Brian Riemer, also called what happened a severe shock.
What's next?
Doctors plan to conduct a detailed analysis of the incident. The built-in defibrillator recorded all heart performance indicators during the malfunction, which will help doctors understand the exact cause of the attack. For now, the whole world is waiting for news about the condition of the "Wolfsburg" star, who has already proven that he is capable of surviving even in the most critical situations.