European football’s governing body has invited the Dane and the heroes who saved his life to the Euro 2020 final
Christian Eriksen and the paramedics who attended to him whilst suffering cardiac arrest on the pitch have been invited to the Euro 2020 final by UEFA.
The Danish international collapsed suddenly in one of the opening games of the tournament against Finland at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital. Millions watching feared for his life and people both across football and outside of the sport came together in support of the 29-year-old.
He has since recovered and left hospital, having also been fitted with an ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) for his future safety. Fellow footballer Daley Blind – who summoned the courage to play the following day – has a similar life-saving similar device too.
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UEFA, who were criticised for continuing to show images of Eriksen on the floor as well as his partner crying – not to mention forcing the team to finish the game on the same day – have now invited Eriksen and the six medics to final at Wembley on Sunday.
One of the paramedics, Peder Ersgaard, said he was honoured to receive a VIP invite from the UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin: “I’m excited, like a child on Christmas Eve,” he told the Fagbladet FOA magazine.
He went on to say, “I’m very proud of my efforts, but also of the whole team. It wasn’t a one-man effort”, adding that he hopes to see Denmark face Italy in the competition’s conclusion. “That would be really, really big”, he said, “Just imagine if they become European champions.”
We, of course, are all hoping this is the year that football comes home but, if it doesn’t, we couldn’t think of any better winners than the Danes for the incredible spirit and performance they’ve shown under such difficult circumstances. It would be even that much more special for Eriksen to be there to witness it.
