STUTTGART, Germany: Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen said his traumatic collapse in his team’s opening game of Euro 2020 is not a moment he regularly thinks about as he prepares to make his first appearance at the tournament since.
Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest three years ago and had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator in front of a stunned Copenhagen crowd during a 1-0 loss to Finland.
He eventually resumed his career after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, making his return to international duty nine months later.
The Manchester United midfielder played for Denmark at the 2022 World Cup and is in line to start their Euro 2024 opener against Slovenia in Stuttgart on Sunday.
“For me personally, everything more than one game is improvement, but it’s been a goal since the beginning to come back to this level,” the 32-year-old Eriksen told reporters on Saturday.
“It’s been three years; a lot of things have happened in the meantime and so honestly I don’t think about it on a daily basis.
“It’s not something I overthink. I’m just looking forward to playing football and I think about the positives.”
The shocking incident further united a close group as the Danes reached the semifinals of Euro 2020 before losing 2-1 to England after extra time at Wembley.
Denmark will face England again in Group C this time along with Serbia.
“I think those are great memories and of course it started very negative and very pessimistic but later on everything got more optimistic and we got more free,” said Eriksen, capped 130 times by Denmark.
“But it’s been a lot of years since then and we’re just going to focus on the games now.”
Rasmus Hojlund’s seven goals in qualifying helped Denmark top their section above Slovenia on head-to-head record, but the Manchester United striker has scored only once in his past eight internationals.
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand played down any concerns over the youngster’s lack of recent goals for his country.
“It comes in phases. Sometimes you have this period where you score a lot of goals,” said Hjulmand.
“But thankfully Rasmus always makes a big impression in every game. He’s dangerous and he’s fully motivated but he always makes a difference, which is the most important thing.
“The goals will come and sometimes you’re gonna have to fight more for the goals and other times they’re just gonna go in every time you kick.”
Benjamin Sesko, who earlier this week extended his RB Leipzig contract until 2029, will be the main threat Denmark must try to neutralize.
The highly-rated 21-year-old led Slovenia with five goals in qualifying and finished his first Bundesliga season with 14 goals in 31 games.
“Sesko is very fast and he has a great left foot. It’s a player we know and it’s a player we’ve analyzed a lot because he is significant for Slovenia,” said Hjulmand.
“Sesko is a big star and a young attacker. We are ready for him.”
Eriksen keen to look forward after Euro 2020 trauma
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Eriksen keen to look forward after Euro 2020 trauma
- He eventually resumed his career after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, making his return to international duty nine months later
- “For me personally, everything more than one game is improvement, but it’s been a goal since the beginning to come back to this level,” Eriksen said
Arsenal host Chelsea, looking to maintain lead in EPL
- “Well, I think one thing leads to another,” explained Gunners manager Mikel Arteta
- Rosenior said: “The Premier League is so difficult every week”
LONDON: Arsenal will look to move another step closer to their first Premier League title in 22 years Sunday when they host a Chelsea side managing its own improved run of form under new manager Liam Rosenior.
The Gunners (18-3-7, 61 points) maintained their five-point lead over Manchester City with an emphatic 4-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, though City still possess a match in hand.
Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres each had a brace as Arsenal pulled away following a first half that ended tied at 1-1.
The performance took Gyokeres to 10 league goals in his first English campaign after his move from Sporting Lisbon this summer. Five of those have come in the Sweden international’s last five league appearances.
“Well, I think one thing leads to another,” explained Gunners manager Mikel Arteta. “When you score the first one, the performance is good, you have more time with your teammates, you understand the games, the opponents, the league better, everything helps.”
The result stretched Arsenal’s winning run to five matches in the North London Derby and their unbeaten streak to eight. Against Chelsea, the Gunners have gone 10 unbeaten while winning seven in all competitions, including both legs of their EFL Cup semifinal in November and January.
But fifth-place Chelsea (12-6-9, 45 points) have looked improved under incoming manager Rosenior, even if the decision to replace Enzo Maresca caught most off guard.
The Blues have posted an 8-2-2 mark under his direction in all competitions, with those EFL Cup losses the only defeats. In the league, Chelsea have taken 14 points from six games, a pace that would see them above Arsenal if it were extended over the whole season.
Still, they begin three points behind Manchester United in the quest for the final UEFA Champions League spot next season. And it may get tougher from here, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and a round-of-16 UCL clash with Paris Saint-Germain looming.
Rosenior doesn’t see it that way.
“The Premier League is so difficult every week. Every week, the challenges that you face, the different tactical problems that you have, the physicality of the league, I don’t judge one game as harder than the other,” he said. “For me, I’m happy with this group, I’m happy with the start that we’ve made. We’ve won eight out of 12, it should be 10 out of 12. That’s not bad.”
Rosenior also confirmed captain Reece James will be available after the defensive midfielder sustained a minor injury in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Burnley.
