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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Kieran Jackson and Will Castle

Christian Eriksen - latest: Denmark star in hospital after collapsing in match against Ukraine

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN COLLAPSES - LATEST

  • Denmark international Christian Eriksen has collapsed again
  • The 34-year-old is in hospital after briefly losing consciousness on Sunday
  • Denmark's match against Ukraine was abandoned after the incident
  • The incident comes five years after Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at the Euros

Scenes in Odense after Eriksen's collapse

08:00 , Will Castle

 (Reuters)
(Reuters)
 (AP)
(AP)
 (AP)
(AP)

How did Eriksen react to incident in 2021?

07:40 , Will Castle

After his recovery, Eriksen told the BBC that he remembered “everything apart from the five minutes” he was unconscious.

“I remember the throw-in, the ball hitting my knee and then I don’t know what happened after.

“Then I woke up with people around me and felt the pressure on my chest, trying to get my breathing back, and then I woke up – I opened my eyes and saw people around me, I didn’t really understand what was going on.

“At that time I had no idea what had happened, then it goes through my head: ‘Did something happen with my legs? Did I break my back? Can I lift my leg up?’ – all small things I was trying to do to see what happened.

“Then in the ambulance I heard someone say: ‘How long was he out for?’ and someone said: ‘Five minutes,’ and that was the first time I had heard I was gone.”

Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 (Getty)
Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 (Getty)

Eriksen's clubs offer support

07:20 , Will Castle

What has been said?

07:00 , Will Castle

"The most important thing is that Christian is doing well and he is, he has left the field, and he has sent his regards to the players," Denmark manager Brian Riemer said.

"Now it's about us ‌standing together, as you could see ​that we did in the most dignified way on ‌the field.

“So it's about standing together now and ​of course ensuring that everyone has a shoulder to lean on from here."

 (Reuters)
(Reuters)

What has been said?

06:40 , Will Castle

"There's a throw-in, and then I go out to the side, ⁠and I turn around a bit, and I see Christian on his way to the floor, and we know ​a ⁠little about how he reacts, what that ‌means," Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg told Danish broadcaster TV2.

"(Everyone) reacted super-fast and with respect ... I can only compliment how much courage those who took care of Christian on the field had. I can't say much more than that you get a shock, and that the most important thing is that Christian is doing well."

What has been said?

06:20 , Will Castle

“Christian Eriksen is conscious and doing well under the circumstances,” the Danish national team confirmed on its official X account as the news broke.

Providing more details, Denmark doctor Morten Boesen added: "Christian is doing well and left the pitch himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.

“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.

”He will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident. We are in constant contact with him and the doctors at the hospital.

“But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and say that he was okay."

Recap: Christian Eriksen collapses again during Denmark friendly with match called off

06:00 , Will Castle

Christian Eriksen is conscious after collapsing again while playing for Denmark during a friendly with Ukraine.

Eriksen clutched his chest and fell to the ground in the 65th minute before medical personnel rushed to the midfielder’s aid.

The 34-year-old did lose consciousness momentarily but quickly regained it was able to walk himself off the pitch. He will now undergo further examinations in hospital.

The match, which Denmark were leading 2-1 through first-half goals from Patrick Dorgu and Joakim Maelhe, was subsequently abandoned in the 79th minute.

The Dane previously suffered a cardiac arrest in June 2021 while representing his country at the European Championships.

Full story:

Christian Eriksen collapses again during Denmark friendly with match called off

Ukraine head coach Andrea Maldera did not take any questions after the match.

06:00 , Kieran Jackson

“Out of respect for him [Eriksen], it would not be right to talk about football right now”

Fans chant Eriksen's name in Odense

05:00 , Will Castle

Ex-Denmark player Nicklas Bendtner, who was covering the game for Danish TV:

04:00 , Kieran Jackson

“These are horrible pictures, and it completely overshadows the rest of the evening.

“My thoughts are with the family and the children, and it’s a difficult situation to be in right now.

“This is the second time it has happened, and as Christian’s friend also… it’s really terrible.”

 (Getty)
(Getty)

Uefa broadcast cut immediately after collapse

03:00 , Will Castle

One of the controversies that came out from Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest was the fact the broadcast, which went out globally, lingered on the player as team-mates and medics rushed over.

In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: “We apologise to anyone who was upset by the images broadcast.

“In-stadium coverage is controlled by Uefa as the host broadcaster, and as soon as the match was suspended, we took our coverage off air as quickly as possible.”

This time, there has been praise at how quickly the feed was cut to a wide angle while Eriksen received treatment.

Eriksen's 2025/26 season

02:00 , Will Castle

After leaving Manchester United upon the expiry of his contract last summer, Christian Eriksen has spent the last season at Wolfsburg.

He has been one of their standout players, making 31 Bundesliga appearances in which he scored three goals and made 10 assists.

The 34-year-old also took the captain’s armband in March but was unable to steer them away from a first relegation in 29, losing to Paderborn in the play-offs.

 (Reuters)
(Reuters)

Pacemaker 'responded as it should'

01:00 , Will Castle

Denmark’s team doctor highlighted that Eriksen’s pacemaker “responded as it should”.

He received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, which can detect dangerous heart rhythms and deliver corrective electrical shocks if necessary.

It is speculated an ICD shock was what made him clutch his chest before going down during Denmark’s friendly in Odense.

NOTE: Denmark did not qualify for the World Cup

Sunday 7 June 2026 23:59 , Kieran Jackson

For those wondering if Eriksen will be able to play at the World Cup... Denmark did not qualify for the tournament in North America.

The Danes lost in March’s play-offs to Czech Republic on penalties, having finished second behind Scotland in their group.

More from Boesen:

Sunday 7 June 2026 23:30 , Kieran Jackson

“We are in constant contact with him and the doctors at the hospital.

“But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and say that he was okay."

Christian Eriksen of Denmark collapsed during a friendly against Ukraine (Getty)
Christian Eriksen of Denmark collapsed during a friendly against Ukraine (Getty)

Denmark team doctor: 'Christian doing well'

Sunday 7 June 2026 23:00 , Kieran Jackson

Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen says Eriksen is undergoing ‘further examinations in hospital.’

He said: "Christian is doing well and left the pitch himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.

“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.

”He will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident.”

VIDEO: Christian Eriksen, speaking about his 2021 cardiac arrest:

Sunday 7 June 2026 22:30 , Kieran Jackson

Statement from Eriksen's club, Wolfsburg:

Sunday 7 June 2026 22:00 , Kieran Jackson

“We’re thinking of you, Christian,” a Wolfsburg statement read on Sunday night.

“We are in close contact with the Danish Football Association and are following further developments.

“All the best and a speedy recovery.”

 (Getty)
(Getty)

Denmark and Ukraine players bind arms post-match

Sunday 7 June 2026 21:45 , Kieran Jackson

Really heartwarming scenes in Odense.

Hojbjerg speaks on Eriksen's collapse

Sunday 7 June 2026 21:30 , Will Castle

"There's a throw-in, and then I go out to the side, ⁠and I turn around a bit, and I see Christian on his way to the floor, and we know ​a ⁠little about how he reacts, what that ‌means," Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg told Danish broadcaster TV2.

"(Everyone) reacted super-fast and with respect ... I can only compliment how much courage those who took care of Christian on the field had. I can't say much more than that you get a shock, and that the most important thing is that Christian is doing well."

 (Getty)
(Getty)

Tottenham send support to Eriksen

Sunday 7 June 2026 21:15 , Will Castle

How did Eriksen react to incident in 2021?

Sunday 7 June 2026 20:56 , Kieran Jackson

After his recovery, Eriksen told the BBC that he remembered “everything apart from the five minutes” he was unconscious.

“I remember the throw-in, the ball hitting my knee and then I don’t know what happened after.

“Then I woke up with people around me and felt the pressure on my chest, trying to get my breathing back, and then I woke up – I opened my eyes and saw people around me, I didn’t really understand what was going on.

“At that time I had no idea what had happened, then it goes through my head: ‘Did something happen with my legs? Did I break my back? Can I lift my leg up?’ – all small things I was trying to do to see what happened.

“Then in the ambulance I heard someone say: ‘How long was he out for?’ and someone said: ‘Five minutes,’ and that was the first time I had heard I was gone.”

Christian Eriksen (PA Wire)
Christian Eriksen (PA Wire)

Ukraine players applaud fans in Odense

Sunday 7 June 2026 20:43 , Kieran Jackson

A nice touch after the game was abandoned, following Eriksen’s collapse.

 (AP)
(AP)
 (AP)
(AP)
 (AP)
(AP)

Denmark coach Brian Riemer:

Sunday 7 June 2026 20:28 , Kieran Jackson

On Eriksen: “Christian Eriksen waved to his teammates as he left the pitch.

“A few minutes before he fell ill, he had a tussle with Ruslan Malinovskyi, and I thought that was why he looked distressed, but I was wrong.

On game being abandoned: “From that moment on, neither I nor the players on the pitch could have carried on with the match.”

 (AP)
(AP)

Eriksen update

Sunday 7 June 2026 20:03 , Kieran Jackson

Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen says Eriksen is currently undergoing ‘further examinations in hospital.’

He said: "Christian is doing well and left the pitch himself. As I see it, the pacemaker responded as it should.

“He was briefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly, and we were quickly in contact with him.

”He will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident. We are in constant contact with him and the doctors at the hospital.

“But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and say that he was okay."

 (Getty)
(Getty)

Incident comes five years after Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020

Sunday 7 June 2026 19:55 , Kieran Jackson

Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 during a group stage match against Finland, when his heart stopped for roughly five minutes.

The former Tottenham star was astonishingly able to make a full recovery after being given an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which can detect dangerous heart rhythms and deliver corrective electrical shocks if necessary.

And while he was unable to play for his then current club Inter Milan due to the ICD, with Italian football regulations prohibiting him, he went on to restart his professional career at Brentford, returning to action just eight months after the harrowing incident at the Euros.

He made a comeback for Denmark two months later before joining Manchester United in the summer of 2022, where he played for three years.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

RECAP: Christian Eriksen collapses - full story:

Sunday 7 June 2026 19:52 , Kieran Jackson

Christian Eriksen is conscious after collapsing again while playing for Denmark during a friendly with Ukraine.

Eriksen clutched his chest and fell to the ground in the 65th minute before medical personnel rushed to the midfielder’s aid. He is now conscious and undergoing medical checks in hospital.

It comes five years after Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at the European Championships.

Full story below:

Christian Eriksen collapses again during Denmark friendly with match called off

Eriksen latest

Sunday 7 June 2026 19:48 , Kieran Jackson

Christian Eriksen is conscious after collapsing again while playing for Denmark during a friendly with Ukraine.

Eriksen clutched his chest and fell to the ground in the 65th minute before medical personnel rushed to the midfielder’s aid.

The 34-year-old did lose consciousness momentarily but after treatment was able to walk himself off the pitch. He will now undergo further examinations in hospital.

Christian Eriksen (Getty)
Christian Eriksen (Getty)

Christian Eriksen - latest

Sunday 7 June 2026 19:47 , Kieran Jackson

Welcome to our news blog on the worrying news that Christian Eriksen has collapsed while playing for Denmark.

We’ll have all the latest on the 34-year-old’s condition as and when we receive further updates.

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