06/07/26 02:14:00
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06/07 14:12 CDT Denmark says soccer star Christian Eriksen 'conscious' after
collapsing on field again in match
Denmark says soccer star Christian Eriksen 'conscious' after collapsing on
field again in match
ODENSE, Denmark (AP) --- Christian Eriksen was conscious and undergoing further
tests in the hospital after collapsing on the field again while playing for
Denmark's national team, the country's soccer federation said Sunday.
In a scary scene that had echoes of Eriksen's on-field collapse following a
cardiac arrest during the European Championship in 2021, TV images showed the
34-year-old midfielder clutching his chest with both hands in an off-the-ball
action in the 65th minute of Denmark's international friendly against Ukraine
at Nature Energy Park in Odense.
In the next TV image shown, Erikson was on the ground, surrounded by
worried-looking players. Ukraine's coaching staff were seen waving medical
personnel onto the field.
The match was later abandoned.
Minutes later, the Danish federation sent a post on X saying Eriksen was
"conscious and, under the circumstances, doing well."
In a fuller statement posted 10 minutes later, Denmark team physician Morten
Boesen said: "Christian is doing well and left the field himself. As I see it,
the pacemaker is beating as it should."
After saying Eriksen was briefly unconscious, Boesen added in the statement
that he "very quickly regained consciousness, and we were quickly in contact
with him.
"Now he needs to be examined further in the hospital to find out what caused
the incident," Boesen added.
"We are in constant contact with him and the doctors at the hospital. But
Christian is doing well, and he asked me to greet all the players and say that
he was OK."
The match was officially called off by the referee in the 79th minute --- with
Denmark leading 2-1 --- after he spoke to both coaches and sets of players.
While Eriksen was being treated, there was initially a hush in the crowd before
a chant of "Eriksen, Eriksen" went around the stadium.
After the match was abandoned, players from both teams formed a circle around
the two coaches in one half of the field. The coaches were seen talking to the
players. The teams then walked around the field to applause from the crowd,
with some players visibly upset.
Eriksen's collapse during Denmark's opening European Championship group game in
2021, against Finland in Copenhagen, sent soccer into shock. Eriksen, one of
Denmark's greatest ever players, was given lengthy medical treatment before
regaining consciousness and said he was later informed he was "gone from this
world for five minutes."
Eriksen resumed his professional playing career 259 days later after being
fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
He played for Brentford and Manchester United before joining German club
Wolfsburg in 2025. He has a contract with Wolfsburg until the end of the
2026-27 season.
Neither Denmark nor Ukraine have qualified for the World Cup.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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