A frightful night in Copenhagen when football became an afterthought

Singapore

BEFORE the start of the European football championships last weekend, one of the unheralded teams dreaming of going deep in the competition - with quiet hopes of even winning it - was Denmark.

And with good reason too. The Danes - the surprise champions of the continent in 1992 after being recalled at the last minute to replace the expelled Yugoslavia - are currently ranked 10th in the world, above even Germany, the Netherlands and Croatia.

With many established stars who have excelled at club level in coach Kasper Hjulmand's squad - including Leicester City's experienced goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and Chelsea's Champions League winner Andreas Christensen - many pundits listed Denmark as the dark horse to watch out for.

Everything seemed so rosy for the Danes, such was the optimism and confidence coursing through their veins, that no one could have foreseen that their world would be turned upside down in their opening match.

Forty-three minutes were on the clock during their Group B fixture against tournament debutants Finland on Saturday night (Sunday morning, Singapore time) when their Euro 2020 dream turned into an absolute nightmare.

That was the fateful moment when, with the score still goalless and the two teams ready for the half-time interval - Denmark's star midfielder Christian Eriksen was receiving a throw-in when he suddenly fell limp and collapsed face down onto the pitch with no one near him.

His shocked teammates, the Finland opponents and referee Anthony Taylor, quickly signalled for help and the medics rushed onto the field.

The next few minutes at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, with 16,000 spectators looking on in horror, were among the most frightening ever seen during a football match.

Eerie silence

There was an eerie silence as Eriksen, a 29-year-old who plays for Inter-Milan in Italy's Serie A, received chest compressions in a desperate bid to resuscitate him.

He was later stretchered off to a loud ovation from the 16,000 spectators in the stadium. After he was taken to a local hospital, he was awake and in a stable condition.

Reports say that Eriksen even managed to speak to his devastated teammates from his hospital bed to reassure them he was out of danger.

Incredibly, and controversially, the match resumed after both teams held an emergency meeting and decided to continue playing.

Finland, playing at a major tournament for the first time in their history, eventually won 1-0 after scoring from their only attempt on target.

The Danes - deflated long before the final whistle was blown - simply did not have their heart in it anymore. They were emotionally exhausted from what they had witnessed just a couple of hours earlier.

Even Finland's goalscorer Joel Pohjanpalo did not want to or feel like celebrating what was easily the biggest moment in his career.

But then again, football didn't really matter at all on an emotional night like this. On any other day, the result should have made the back pages of newspapers all over the world, but instead all anyone can think of is Eriksen's health and to hope he makes a full recovery.

It's still a mystery how a seemingly healthy athlete who has never had any serious physical problems could have suffered such a fate.

There are fears that Eriksen - a former Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur player with well over a hundred appearances for his country - may never play competitively again.

What we do know for sure, however, is that Eriksen is alive today because of the heroic actions of so many others on and off the pitch.

Denmark captain Simon Kjaer deserves special praise for being the first to rush to his fallen teammate. He wasted no time to make sure his airways were cleared and even gave him CPR before the medics arrived seconds later.

Lightning-quick reaction

Kjaer also guided the rest of the Danish team to form a barrier around Eriksen as treatment was administered, to shield him from the TV cameras and maintain some form of dignity.

Kjaer and goalkeeper Schmeichel were also seen consoling Eriksen's distraught partner, who had left her seat to step onto the field as treatment was ongoing.

Kudos must go out to the medical staff at the stadium for their lightning-quick reaction in rushing to Eriksen's aid. Their composure and professionalism means the player will live to see his family again.

The fans did their part as well to show their support in whatever small way they could. Even as they frantically checked their phones for updates, Finland supporters started chanting "Christian! Christian", which was followed by the Danish spectators shouting "Eriksen! Eriksen!"

After all that drama, the question is where does this talented but now heartbroken Denmark team go from here? They are due to return to this same stadium for two more group games, against top-ranked Belgium on Thursday and Russia next Tuesday.

Unless the Danes can somehow find the energy, belief and courage to pick themselves up, their Euro 2020 journey will come to an abrupt end at the first hurdle.

The team won't mind if they make their exit this early, and no one will fault them for anything else they do in this tournament. Having witnessed their close friend and teammate linger between life and death, nothing else - least of all, football - matters at this point in time.