Story from Kenneth AFOR, Lagos
Professor Sanjay Sharma, a cardiologist who previously worked with Christian Eriksen at Tottenham Hotspur, has said the midfielder may not play football again.
Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on Saturday during the Group B clash against Finland at the Euro 2020 championship.
The 29-year-old Danish midfielder fell to the ground in shocking scenes at the Parken Stadium before half-time and was treated on the pitch before being taken to hospital.
The match was temporarily suspended, with players of both sides in clear distress before resuming two hours later, after Eriksen was said to be in a stable condition.
Sharma, while speaking on the development, said he doubts the player will continue playing football.
The professor of sports cardiology at London’s St George’s University, said football bodies and medical practitioners are likely to be “very strict” about allowing Eriksen to play again.
“Clearly something went terribly wrong”, he said.
“But they managed to get him back, the question is what happened? And why did it happen?
“This guy had normal tests all the way up to 2019 so how do you explain this cardiac arrest?”
Sharma, who chairs the English FA’s expert cardiac consensus group, said there are multiple reasons a cardiac arrest could happen, such as high temperatures or an unidentified condition.
He, however, said report that Eriksen was awake in the hospital was “a very good sign”.
“I’m very pleased. The fact he’s stable and awake, his outlook is going to be very good,” he told the PA news agency.
“I don’t know whether he’ll ever play football again.
“Without putting it too bluntly, he died today, albeit for a few minutes, but he did die and would the medical professional allow him to die again? The answer is no.”
He added: “The good news is he will live, the bad news is he was coming to the end of his career, so would he play another professional football game, that I can’t say.
“In the UK he wouldn’t play. We’d be very strict about it.”
Denmark coach, Kasper Hjulmand, struggled to hold back tears during his post-match press conference and revealed his side had the choice of finishing the Group B opener on the night or returning on Sunday.
“It was more unmanageable to have to restart tomorrow. It was more unmanageable than going back out now and getting it all put behind us,” Hjulmand said.
“I could not be more proud of this team, who take good care of each other.
“There are players in there who are completely finished emotionally. Players who on another day could not play this match. They are supporting each other. It was a traumatic experience.”
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