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Eriksen in good spirits after on-field collapse
Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen is recovering well after collapsing during Sunday's match against Ukraine in Odense, team doctor Morten Boesen confirmed. The 34-year-old, who plays for Wolfsburg, is expected to leave the hospital soon and return home.
Match abandoned after medical emergency
The friendly was halted in the 65th minute when Eriksen collapsed on the pitch. After regaining consciousness, he was able to walk off the field with assistance before being taken to a hospital. The match was later abandoned as both teams and fans showed visible distress.
Players from Denmark and Ukraine formed a protective ring around Eriksen while he received treatment. Both teams later huddled together in solidarity after the game was called off.
Medical background and device explained
Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland in 2021 and was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a device that monitors heart rhythms and delivers shocks if dangerous irregularities occur. The ICD allowed him to resume his career, first with Brentford in 2022, followed by stints at Manchester United and now Wolfsburg.
Boesen confirmed the device functioned as intended during Sunday's incident. "The pacemaker responded as it should," he told reporters.
"I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well. He is with his family and in good spirits. The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home."
Morten Boesen, Denmark team doctor
Eriksen's perspective and league regulations
In a 2022 interview with BBC Sport, Eriksen expressed confidence in playing with the ICD, stating he saw no risk. "I have an ICD. If anything would happen, then I am safe," he said.
League rules vary: the Premier League and Bundesliga permit players with ICDs, but Serie A does not. Eriksen's contract with Inter Milan was terminated by mutual consent after his 2021 collapse due to these regulations.
How ICDs work
An ICD is roughly half the size of a mobile phone and is implanted under the skin, typically near the armpit or below the collarbone. It continuously monitors heart rhythms and can deliver an electric shock to restore normal function if a life-threatening arrhythmia is detected.
"It works 24 hours a day and is constantly monitoring the heart rhythm. If the heart develops a dangerous rhythm that could lead to a sudden cardiac arrest, the device can rapidly detect it and deliver treatment. That includes a shock, if necessary, to restore a normal rhythm."
Aneil Malhotra, Professor of Sports Cardiology at Manchester Metropolitan University
The device eliminates the need for external intervention, such as CPR, which was required during Eriksen's 2021 collapse.
Historical context and other athletes
Eriksen's incident follows other high-profile cardiac events in football, including Fabrice Muamba's near-fatal collapse in 2012 and Marc-Vivien Foé's tragic death in 2003. More recently, Luton Town's Tom Lockyer collapsed during a Premier League match in 2023 but returned to play two years later.
Other athletes, such as former Manchester United and Netherlands player Daley Blind, have also continued their careers after being fitted with ICDs. Blind returned to action in 2019 after being diagnosed with a heart condition.
