A cardiologist who worked with Danish star Christian Eriksen, who was taken to hospital after collapsing during the Euro 2020 match against Finland on Saturday, explained that the midfielder had no record of heart problems while at Tottenham.
Eriksen, 29, fell to the ground in the 42nd minute while running near the side line of the stadium after a side throw in favor of Denmark, and he underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the field, and officials later said that the player regained consciousness and is in a stable condition.
Renowned cardiologist Sanjay Sharma said Eriksen's results had been normal since 2013, but the sight of the Inter Milan playmaker had raised some concerns that doctors might fail to find something.
I can just imagine what Eriksen's wife was going through at that moment.
pic.twitter.com/EDZmIimkWU
— 💥Bruno K💥 (@bruno_KUg) June 13, 2021
"I was like, 'Oh my God, is there anything we didn't realize?' But I've followed all the previous results and they all look great," Sharma was quoted as saying by The Mail on Sunday.
He added, "Since the day I signed him, my job was to do tests for him every year, so the results of the tests until 2019 were completely normal and without any heart problem. I can attest to that because I had the tests."
@Huuhkajat 🇫🇮: Christian@DBUfodbold 🇩🇰: Eriksen
This sums up what an air- filled sphere with a circumference of 68–70 cm, a weight of 410–450 gm can do to this world!!
It unites the rivals, it unites the nations, it spreads love, compassion & empathy across the world.
Hail ⚽ pic.twitter.com/662JSrAjdp
— Anirban Datta (@Sunnyani1731) June 13, 2021
Player fatigue warning
On the other hand, the International Federation of Professional Players had warned not to take into account the health of players when organizing the tournament schedule, hours before Eriksen fell unconscious against Finland.
It was not immediately clear what caused Eriksen's fall and whether it was linked to fatigue or not.
The Danish player was taken to hospital, where his condition is stable.
🇩🇰 Respect
🇫🇮
Get well soon, Christian.
#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/SyWDfFAcXG
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 12, 2021
The European Championship was postponed from last year due to the Corona virus pandemic, which delayed the start of the 2020-2021 season and forced the European championships to intensify their competition schedule to finish the season in time for the continental championship.
"Over the last four years... we have told players around the world how not taking into account the tournament schedule or even thinking about their needs. The conditions in the matches and related to them are stressing you mentally and physically," FIFA Secretary-General Jonas Bar-Hoffmann said in an open letter.
⚽️ A goal for the Finnish national team by player Joel Pohianpalo #Euro 2020 |
# Denmark_Finland pic.twitter.com/wNt4wRwTbo
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 12, 2021
Bar-Hoffmann stressed that it was time for a change and asked players to express their opinions through the player links.
"In the coming months, we will discuss on your behalf with FIFA and the sponsors in order to hear your voices on a fairer and more reasonable tournament schedule, as well as fairer conditions, greater guarantees and protection inside and outside stadiums."
"In our view, the voice of each player is the most important thing in this discussion," the Secretary-General added, pointing out that the players' opinion was not taken into account when making decisions.
Several big club coaches have criticized the tight schedule this season.
And last November, Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warned of an increase in injuries in the Premier League due to "physical or mental fatigue".