Just before half-time during the Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland, Christian Eriksen fell face-forward onto the ground.
His teammates, Finland players and the referee immediately gestured for help and medics rushed onto the field.
As Eriksen lay unconscious on the field, his pulse slipping away, Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen quickly realized there was not a second to lose, according to Aljazeera.
“He was breathing, and I could feel his pulse. But suddenly that changed,” Boesen said. “And as everyone saw, we started giving him CPR.”
The next 10 minutes were among the scariest to ever unfold during a match at football’s European Championship.
Several medics worked frenetically to give Eriksen chest compressions while his teammates choked away tears and formed a circle around the midfielder to shield the scene from public view.
Eriksen was awake and in stable condition on Saturday night after being taken to a Copenhagen hospital, the Danish football federation said.
Eriksen’s partner, Sabrina Kvist Jensen, went onto the field and was comforted by Denmark captain Simon Kjaer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Inter Milan team physician Piero Volpi told The Associated Press that Eriksen never contracted COVID-19, has no medical conditions that he is aware of and has passed every medical exam without problems since joining the club in January 2020 from Tottenham.
Finland went on to win 1-0 after Joel Pohjanpalo scored in the 60th minute and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky later saved a penalty.
UEFA said both teams had held an emergency meeting before deciding to continue playing.
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Hjulmand said the teams were given the option of finishing the game on Saturday or resuming on Sunday.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
