Kasper Schmeichel says it’s “damn nice” to see Christian Eriksen smiling and laughing after he collapsed during Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener on Saturday.
Schmeichel has visited the midfielder after the Inter Milan star suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during Denmark’s opener against Finland.
Eriksen’s teammates have been hailed for their reactions to the horrifying moment, particularly captain Simon Kjaer who started CPR and Schmeichel for comforting Eriksen’s partner.
The rest of the team also formed a protective huddle around the player as he received treatment on the field.
The ex-Tottenham midfielder is now stable in hospital and doctors are trying to find out why it happened as the 29-year-old has no known underlying health conditions.
(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Schmeichel said: “I think the important thing about this is that I have seen Christian and I have talked to him.
“It was damn nice to see him smile and laugh and be himself. Just to notice that he is there. It was a wonderful experience and something that has helped me see that he was okay after lying there.
“We talked about nothing and everything. As long as he is well, that is the most important thing. He has experienced something that we have not experienced. He has a completely different experience of the situation. It was great to talk to him.
“I have chosen to say to myself that this has had a happy ending. It’s not the end yet, but it could have been so much worse.”
Schmeichel then spoke passionately about how the team are very close.
He added: “You have all heard us preach about the togetherness of the national team for many years. Now you have seen what that means.
“I do not have enough vocabulary to be able to say how I really feel about these boys. I could not imagine standing here with anyone else.
“We have experienced insane support from all over the country – from all over the world after the match. But the support we have received from our fans is a huge motivating factor.
(Image: REUTERS)
“We need to try to turn this into something positive, into something motivating. And we must remember that there is something positive in this. It’s that Christian’s alive. It could have ended much worse.”
The players were given two choices over how to end their opener, continue that evening or restart the match the following day.
They decided to play that evening and they lost 1-0 after Finland’s Joel Pohjanpalo headed in the winner.
Schmeichel added: “We were put in a position that I personally do not feel was fair.
“We had two choices. It probably required that there was someone higher up than us who said it was not the time to make a decision.
“A decision about the game should probably not have been made in the heat of the moment.
“I think it would have been a wise decision to change the rules or regulations in extraordinary circumstances, maybe take a breath then reconvene the day afterwards and then make a decision on how we go forward.”
Denmark will next play on June 17 against Belgium.
