Christian Eriksen broke his silence one day after the incident that forced the suspension of the friendly match between Denmark and Ukraine. The Danish midfielder assured that he is now at home with his family and conveyed a message of calm after the episode that occurred on Sunday in Odense.

The 34-year-old footballer collapsed again during the match when the 65th minute passed. In an action without contact with another player, Eriksen put his hands on his chest before falling on the pitch. The rapid intervention of medical services allowed him to be treated while his companions formed a circle around him.

The player subsequently left the field under his own power and was taken to a hospital for additional medical evaluations. The Danish Football Federation reported in the following hours that the footballer was conscious.

Eriksen reassures fans

The first public statement came through their social networks. The player himself wanted to send a direct message to clear up the concern generated by the images of the incident.

“I want everyone to know that I am fine and that I am at home with my family,” Eriksen wrote on Instagram.

The Danish international also explained that the situation was different from what he experienced during the 2021 Euro Cup, when he suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of the match against Finland.

“As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my implantable defibrillator has had a huge impact on both me and my family, but I want to assure everyone that this was a different situation than what occurred in 2021.”

The footballer added that his recovery process is already underway and thanked the support received both on and off the field.

“In addition to being grateful for the support and help of all the players and the medical team on the field, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years,” he said.

Following the cardiac arrest suffered during Euro 2021, Eriksen underwent implantation of an implantable automatic defibrillator (ICD), a device designed to detect dangerously abnormal heart rhythms and act using electrical impulses when necessary.

As explained by the British Heart Foundation, this device is placed under the skin, near the collarbone, and can automatically intervene to restore normal heart rhythm.

In his message, Eriksen highlighted precisely the importance of this device. “Thanks to their expertise, my implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it.”

The Danish team's doctor, Morten Boesen, also referred to the operation of the device after the incident. “In my opinion, the pacemaker responded as it should,” he said.

“My recovery has already begun,” said the player, who added that his immediate priority is “to recover, spend time with my family, go on vacation and play soccer with my children.”