Christian Eriksen collapses again, Denmark friendly vs. Ukraine called off

Soccer star Christian Eriksen was at home with family and “doing well” he said on Monday, a day after collapsing on the field again while playing for Denmark.

The reassuring health update by 34-year-old Eriksen came after he clutched his chest with both hands in an off-the-ball action in the 65th minute of a friendly against Ukraine in Odense on Sunday. After dropping to the ground, Eriksen received medical attention as fellow players formed a circle around him.

He then walked off the field by himself and was taken to the hospital, where he underwent more tests. He had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted to support his heart after suffering a cardiac arrest during a European Championship match in 2021.

After updates by the team physician via statements from the Danish soccer federation, Eriksen himself posted for the first time on social media.

“I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family,” he wrote on Instagram.

“As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major effect on both me and my family, but I want to assure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021.”

Eriksen said his “recovery has already started.”

“In addition to being grateful for the support and assistance 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 wrote.

“Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it.”

Eriksen said he focus now was on “recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children.”