Danish soccer star undergoes successful surgery

Danish soccer star Christian Eriksen underwent surgery and has been released from the hospital a week after he collapsed during a Euro 2020 match against Finland. 

The Danish Football Association tweeted Friday that Eriksen “has been through a successful operation and was today discharged” from the Rigshospitalet hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The organization also said that the player upon being released from the hospital visited his teammates on Denmark’s national team before going home to “spend time with his family.” 

Christian Eriksen has been discharged from the hospital. More here ⬇️#ForDanmark pic.twitter.com/jzF338XiC1

— DBU – En Del Af Noget Større (@DBUfodbold) June 18, 2021

National team doctor Morten Boesen had announced Thursday that the 29-year-old’s operation would include being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a small device placed under the skin to monitor heart rate, after it was determined that Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest when he collapsed. 

In a statement shared by the Danish soccer association Friday, Eriksen expressed his appreciation “for the massive number of greetings,” adding that it had been “incredible to see and feel.” 

“The operation went well, and I am doing well under the circumstances,” he added. “It was really great to see the guys again after the fantastic game they played last night.” 

Eriksen’s visit to the team followed Denmark’s 2-1 loss Thursday in its second group match against Belgium. 

Denmark now goes on to play Russia on Monday, with the team needing to win the match in order to advance to Euro 2020’s knockout phase. 

“No need to say, that I will be cheering on them on Monday against Russia,” Eriksen added in his Friday statement. 

Eriksen’s collapse last week prompted international concern from soccer fans and temporarily paused the game while the player was transported to the hospital. 

During the match, Eriksen was seen having difficulty walking as he moved toward the sideline, and he eventually collapsed after getting hit with a ball just before halftime. 

Players rushed over to help their teammate, and ESPN reported that Eriksen received CPR while still on the field. 

The day after, Boesen said in a news conference from the hospital that the 29-year-old was clinically dead before being brought back to life by the team’s trainers using a defibrillator. 

“He was gone,” the doctor said at the time. “And we did cardiac resuscitation. And it was cardiac arrest.” 

“How close were we? I don’t know,” he added. “We got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast.”