Eriksen to have defibrillator implanted: Danish FA

COPENHAGEN: Danish star Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during his country’s Euro 2020 opener last weekend, will have a heart defibrillator implanted, the Danish Football Union (DBU) announced Thursday.

In a scene that shocked the sporting world and beyond, the 29-year-old Inter Milan midfielder suddenly collapsed on the field in the 43rd minute of Denmark’s Group B game on Saturday against Finland in Copenhagen.

Medical personnel administered CPR as he lay motionless on the field as some 16,000 fans in attendance watched. This continued for about 15 minutes before he was carried off the pitch and rushed to hospital, and it was later confirmed that he had suffered cardiac arrest.

“After Christian has been through different heart examinations it has been decided that he should have an ICD (heart starter),” the Danish football body said in a statement on Twitter.

The device, which is an improved variant of a pacemaker, is “necessary after a cardiac attack due to rhythm disturbances,” it added. DBU provided no details on the potential consequences for the 29-year-old Inter Milan player’s future career, and encouraged people to give Eriksen and his family “peace and privacy”.

Players, such as Dutchman Daley Blind, have been able to resume their careers after being fitted with the device.

Eriksen “has accepted the solution” and it had also been “confirmed by specialists nationally and internationally who all recommend the same treatment,” DBU said.