Euro 2024: Denmark’s Eriksen Nets Opener, 3 Years Post-Cardiac Arrest

Christian Eriksen scored for Denmark in their opening European Championship match against Slovenia on Sunday, marking a significant milestone three years after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the last tournament in 2021.

The 32-year-old midfielder found the net in the 17th minute in Stuttgart, converting a flicked pass from Jonas Wind inside the box. Eriksen’s goal initially seemed poised to secure a victory for Denmark, but Slovenia’s Erik Janža equalized in the 77th minute with a deflected strike, resulting in a draw.

“Well, it was nice [to score], it came at a good time,” Eriksen commented post-match. “We had talked about scoring from a set-piece and we did and, unfortunately, the others did too, but we scored and got off to a good start. It was great with so many Danish fans.”

Eriksen’s cardiac arrest occurred in the 43rd minute of Denmark’s game against Finland in Euro 2020, with the score at 0-0. Finland went on to win 1-0, and Eriksen was named man of the match. The Danish football federation’s director, Peter Moeller, stated at the time that Eriksen received a heart massage on the field before being taken to the hospital.

“He fell over and got help and heart massage on the field,” Moeller told Danish public broadcaster DR. “He was fortunately awake when he left the stadium.”

At the time of his cardiac arrest, Eriksen was playing for Inter Milan. He later signed with Premier League side Brentford in 2022, before joining Manchester United on a three-year deal later that year.

Denmark’s coach, Kasper Hjulmand, praised Eriksen’s performance, saying, “He [Eriksen] has something very special. He played a fantastic game for us today and he is the rhythm of our team. We want to push him close to the goal and we see again today why, because he has some finishing and break-through skills that we need.”

Hjulmand has faced criticism for relying on Eriksen, who had limited playtime with Manchester United in the previous season. However, Hjulmand remains confident in his decision to include the experienced midfielder.

“I have never had my doubts with Christian as a football player, you cannot hold down that kind of class. He is a natural player who knows the rhythm of the game – we say he’s the heart of our game. For me he’s a great player, and he showed it today,” he said.

Eriksen’s goal came 1,100 days after his cardiac arrest on the pitch during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland in Copenhagen.