Less than 24 hours after the shocking health scare that befell Denmark national team star Christian Eriksen, cardiologists specializing in athlete care suggested that the Inter Milan midfielder may not be able to play professionally again. The world experienced hours of sadness and anxiety following Eriksen's collapse during his country's match against Finland on Saturday, which was the start of both teams' journey in the Euro Cup. Eriksen (29 years old) staggered for a moment without anyone colliding with him before falling to the ground, prompting the medical staff to quickly intervene to save him and transport him to a nearby hospital. The match was paused for a while before resuming.
Denmark's team doctor, Martin Boisen, stated that the medical staff intervened "to save Eriksen's life," as the player received assistance to "resuscitate his heart." According to the doctor’s description, the team successfully "brought Christian Eriksen back to life." Despite the European and Danish football associations announcing that Eriksen's condition was "stable," it appears that the player's tragedy will follow him for a long time, preventing him from returning to professional play.
Sky News reported comments from Sanjay Sharma, a cardiologist specializing in treating athletes at St George's University in London, who had previously worked with Eriksen during his time at Tottenham Hotspur. Sharma said, "Clearly, something terrifying happened, but the doctors succeeded in bringing him back to life. The question is what happened and why." The doctor, well-known in British sports circles, added: "This player's test results were normal until 2019," before his transfer to Inter Milan. Football players in Britain undergo very strict medical tests, according to Sharma.
The doctor clarified: "The good news is he woke up, but the bad news is that his career is nearing its end; will he play football professionally again? I cannot say that." Sharma continued: "In Britain, he cannot play. We will be very strict about that." He mentioned that Eriksen's heart crisis may have resulted from an unknown health condition or possibly from high temperatures, but reports indicating that the player is "alive" are a very good sign in his opinion. However, Sharma again expressed doubt about Eriksen's ability to play football again after recovering from the current scare.
In a similar situation, former Bolton Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch during a match against Tottenham in March 2012, and he announced the end of his career five months later based on doctors' advice.
