A Danish journalist recounts how it all unfolded – and what a country united in support of its team thinks of Uefa
A week ago Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during the Euro 2020 game against Finland, having suffered a cardiac arrest. His heart had stopped beating and, according to the Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen, he “was gone”. This is the story about the heroes of Copenhagen and how Eriksen’s life was saved – and what it meant for the nation.
5pm GMT, Saturday 12 June – the excitement After a year’s delay because of Covid-19, 13,790 extremely excited Denmark and Finland supporters are in the national team’s stadium, Parken. I am not one of the lucky ones so I am watching at home with my wife, her parents and our nine‑year‑old daughter. For everyone in Denmark, though, this is a special moment. There is a national team game at Parken with fans for the first time in more than a year. It is the first time Denmark have hosted an international finals and they have a good chance of going far. But 43 minutes into the match that – and everything else – ceases to matter.
Related: View from Denmark: Eriksen is one of us and that’s why it hurt so much
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