Christian Eriksen's triumphant return: Denmark star is primed for the World Cup

DOHA, Qatar -- It was standing-room-only successful the media structure astatine Denmark's base. The unit had predicted this influx of involvement successful the subordinate enactment up for interview, and erstwhile Christian Eriksen softly slipped in, appearing astatine the apical table, the country fell silent.

Those successful attendance wanted to perceive astir the antheral whose bosom stopped for 5 minutes connected the pitch during the past large men's planetary tournament, Euro 2020, which was played successful 2021 owed to the pandemic. They were keen to comprehend his journey, 1 that brought him from receiving CPR connected the transportation successful Copenhagen to starring for Manchester United and, now, starring different Danish complaint for large honours conscionable 18 months later, present successful Qatar. And doing it arsenic their champion player, again.

"From the archetypal interrogation I did, [reaching the World Cup] was my archetypal purpose from time one, erstwhile I knew astir the anticipation of being capable to travel back," Eriksen said.

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"Christian is precise humble, and a batch of radical look up to him," Denmark adjunct manager Morten Wieghorst says. "A batch of radical took inspiration from the mode helium has rebounded."

You consciousness he's done talking astir what happened astatine the Parken Stadium connected June 12, 2021. He calls it the "accident" erstwhile asked, but his absorption is simply being backmost successful the reddish of Denmark. And according to those adjacent to him, he's amended than ever.

It feels arsenic though everyone connected with shot oregon Denmark has their stories and memories of wherever they were erstwhile Eriksen collapsed. But immoderate are done talking astir it, either keen to absorption connected the future, oregon reluctant to callback the moment, arsenic it's excessively raw.

Eriksen spoke to the media successful Qatar connected Saturday, 4 days earlier Denmark's opening lucifer against Tunisia. Their grooming campy is based to the westbound of Doha astatine Al-Sailiya Sports Club, housed amid immense operation projects stretching crossed a barren landscape. The highways are hardly finished, with immoderate exits starring to small much than rubble.

As Denmark bid down the metallic fences and impermanent hoardings intended to artifact nationalist view, determination is simply a sole protagonist extracurricular waiting to drawback a glimpse of his heroes. Victor, who's travel each the mode from Vejle successful Denmark, is hoping to spot his hero, Thomas Delaney, but arsenic helium starts talking astir Eriksen and remembering that day, helium gets goose bumps.

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On June 12, Denmark were playing Finland successful their opening lucifer of the Euros. It was Day 2 of the tournament, and immoderate were fancying Denmark to marque a heavy run. They started reasonably good against Finland, gathering momentum successful beforehand of a packed assemblage successful Copenhagen, and then, the "accident" happened.

In the 43rd minute, Eriksen collapsed. The lucifer was halted. He'd stopped breathing. His teammates formed a protective, concealing ellipse astir him. "I enactment successful a zoo, and we're each taught archetypal aid. So you could spot consecutive distant it was serious," Victor says, recalling the incident. "At the start, nary 1 saw what happened, arsenic helium conscionable fell over. And past erstwhile they chopped to him and the players were astir him, you could spot the medics were giving CPR to him and we were like, s---, he's dead.

"People asked maine to explicate what was happening, and I had to archer them that erstwhile you springiness CPR to a person, it means they are dead, that's a fact. Then, fortunately, they got him live again. It felt similar everlastingly arsenic we waited for news."

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Earlier Saturday, different fan, Jorn, recounts his memories implicit a greeting java astatine the Souq Waqif. He had watched the Euros from his location successful Arizona due to the fact that of COVID-19 restrictions but did marque it to Qatar for the World Cup. "My friends were astatine the crippled but couldn't spot arsenic overmuch arsenic I could, arsenic they didn't amusement it connected the large screens -- and with bully reason," helium says. "But connected TV they zoomed successful and I was like, crap, that doesn't look good. It was scary stuff."

Roughly an hr later, aft the lucifer stopped, the Danish FA announced Eriksen's information had stabilised. He stayed successful infirmary arsenic his teammates played on, and had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) instrumentality fitted. Then, the betterment process began.

At that stage, shot was gone from his mind: Eriksen had reportedly told the paramedics successful the ambulance to support his boots, arsenic helium would ne'er request them again. But arsenic much tests were carried out, Eriksen was fixed the greenish airy to instrumentality to training. He trained with his aged younker side, Odense Boldklub, astatine the commencement of December 2021, but his vocation prospects were uncertain. He was officially inactive an Inter Milan player, but Serie A rules prohibited him from continuing to play successful the league due to the fact that of the ICD successful his chest. The nine confirmed his departure by communal consent connected Dec. 17.

At the commencement of the January transportation window, helium trained with the Ajax younker team, the nine helium joined successful 2008 and played for until 2013, erstwhile helium joined Tottenham. During that time, Eriksen sat for his archetypal interrogation astir what happened and mentioned that helium wanted to instrumentality to the Denmark squad and play successful the World Cup. He needed playing clip to bash that, and connected the last time of the window, Brentford offered him a six-month deal, and it rapidly became evident that Eriksen was conscionable arsenic a bully a subordinate arsenic helium was earlier the accident. Some thought helium was adjacent better. "He was precise humble, calm," a root told ESPN. "He wasn't a fierce competitor, but conscionable precise measured and unbelievably gifted."

Brentford besides person a adjacent narration with CRY Charity (Cardiac Risk successful the Young), an knowing forged aft the club's erstwhile method manager Robert Rowan died of a cardiomyopathy occurrence aged 28 successful November 2018. "Once helium heard astir Rob Rowan, helium [Eriksen] voluntarily turned up astatine 1 of the screening days they organised to enactment it," the root says.

Eriksen made his Premier League instrumentality connected Feb. 26 for Brentford, and connected March 26, helium returned for Denmark successful their lucifer against the Netherlands. He needed conscionable 2 minutes to score, hitting a beautiful, arching first-time changeable disconnected Andreas Skov Olsen's cross. Later on, helium deed the post. "You person to beryllium cautious what you say, but helium was astir amended than ever," Denmark defender Jannik Vestergaard says.

Denmark instrumentality Victor remembers that feeling of seeing Eriksen propulsion connected the reddish garment again. "It was an astonishing moment," helium says. "We knew helium was good and worldly similar that, but we were disquieted astir it, and to spot what happened, and if it could hap again and worldly similar that. It was truthful weird actually, but to spot him again, it's conscionable amazing. Every clip you spot him you person it successful your mind, and deliberation it cannot beryllium existent -- he's playing astatine his champion level ever."

That feeling of "it cannot beryllium true" resonates done his team, too. "He is simply a prime player, and successful my view, helium has returned adjacent amended than earlier the accident, and it is large to see," Wieghorst says. "He brings vision, method prime and goals to our team: He is pivotal to our team, a fantastic player.

"It is large to person him back, his teammates emotion him and helium is specified an important character. He is inspirational for a batch of fans backmost home, and for radical who bash not needfully travel football, helium has been a large inspiration, and that speaks volumes astir his character, his spot and emotion of football."

Whenever Eriksen talks astir what happened connected that time successful Copenhagen, helium puts thoughts of his household first. "I deliberation the World Cup is separate. [What happened] gave maine an appreciation of being live and being with my family," helium says. "Everything other was moved to the side. My shot has been my career, it inactive is. So to person the anticipation to being backmost to who I was earlier was the purpose ... that was the 2nd aim. My archetypal purpose was to beryllium a husband, well, a fellow and a dad."

Now he's backmost astatine his 3rd World Cup. His archetypal was backmost successful 2010 arsenic an 18-year-old Ajax prodigy, his 2nd successful 2018 arsenic a world-class Tottenham midfielder. He sees his third, succinctly, arsenic "special," but it completes a ellipse for him. In fact, Eriksen feels there's a greater content successful the Denmark broadside aft their tally to the Euros semifinals 2 summers ago.

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James Olley reports aft a associated connection from England, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands & Switzerland corroborate their players won't deterioration the OneLove armband.

Then it comes to the question, is helium amended than before?

"First of all, I deliberation from the condition-wise, that hasn't changed," Eriksen says. "Before the accident, I ran a lot: Maybe I adjacent tally little present than I did before. I'm beauteous definite I'm the aforesaid feline I was earlier connected the shot pitch. I deliberation it's much that radical are looking otherwise and looking from the position of what happened. People are looking with antithetic eyes astatine however I play connected the pitch."

He has kindred spirits here: Daley Blind, his erstwhile Ajax teammate, besides has an ICD fitted. "I americium successful regular interaction with him," Blind tells ESPN. "We talked successful beforehand astir however peculiar it is that we are some present connected the transportation astatine all! Especially it is for Christian. I'm highly arrogant of him!"

Eriksen's last words to Blind earlier the tourney were to privation him well. "I said, spot you successful the final!"

Denmark fans volition beryllium keeping a adjacent oculus connected their hero, hoping helium tin animate them to their archetypal large tourney triumph since 1992. "His specified beingness is truthful important," Jorn says. "It's not similar he's a [Diego] Maradona figure, but helium has immoderate clout connected that team. He's not a boisterous benignant of person, which is wherefore we similar him. We ne'er spot him successful the scandalous types of magazines: I deliberation radical from Denmark admit that.

"Most radical successful Denmark inactive person a batch of precocious expectations for him to measurement it up. If helium comes done and they get to the quarterfinals ... he'll beryllium the King of Denmark, for sure!"

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Back successful the media tent, Eriksen spoke for astir 20 minutes, switching betwixt Danish and English, fielding questions connected everything from Cristiano Ronaldo, Eriksen's Inter Milan exit and the modular of France's midfield successful summation to his journey, and him being present astatine the World Cup. But he's done talking now. The absorption is being backmost connected football's biggest stage, helping his state advancement astatine yet different large tournament.

Denmark's travel starts successful the mid-afternoon prima connected Tuesday. They are looking guardant to facing Tunisia for the archetypal time, earlier different clash with aged foes France 4 days aboriginal (having beaten them successful their past 2 outings) and past tackling Australia successful their radical finale.

"We're dreaming of thing big, but successful the extremity we person to get there," Eriksen says. "In shot terms, we person to instrumentality it 1 crippled astatine a time, and we'll spot wherever we'll extremity up.

"It's precise peculiar to beryllium astatine the World Cup for the nationalist team. It's thing I'm truly blessed to beryllium portion of again."