Christian Eriksen shares his first words since collapsing on the field for the second time
Christian Eriksen says he is “doing well” and has gone home from the hospital after collapsing during Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine.
Eriksen, 34, collapsed in the 65th minute of the game in Odense on Sunday, June 7. The match stopped and was eventually called off, even though Denmark was leading 2-1 and Eriksen had regained consciousness and was able to walk off the field.
The former Manchester United, Brentford, and Spurs midfielder was taken to the hospital. The team’s doctor, Morten Boesen, later shared an update on social media, saying Eriksen was stable. “I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well. He is with his family and in good spirits,” he said. “We expect he will be discharged soon and return home. We are taking good care of all players and staff and stay in regular contact with them.”
This message was also shared on Eriksen’s Instagram Story.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Eriksen had a cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match against Finland (held in 2021). After that, he got an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), which helped him return to professional football before joining Brentford in 2022.
Now, Eriksen has shared a statement on Instagram. He explained that this recent event was “a different situation from what happened in 2021” and was caused by a shock from his ICD.
“I want everyone to know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family,” he wrote. “Getting a shock from my ICD is tough for me and my family, but I want to reassure you it was different from 2021. I feel good, and my recovery has started. I’m very thankful for the support and help from players, the medical team, and doctors who have cared for me and my heart. Thanks to them, my ICD worked exactly as it should—protecting me when needed. For now, I’m focusing on resting, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my kids.” He ended his message with a heart emoji.
After the incident, heart specialist Sadi Raza shared his thoughts on X. He said, “There’s a good chance the shock Eriksen got was from his ICD, which can feel like a baseball bat hitting your chest. It’s not clear if his ICD detected a real problem or a false alarm. He will have a full check-up, and doctors will examine his ICD right away to understand what happened. It’s too soon to say what this means for his career.”