In the European Championship premiere three years ago, Christian Eriksen came close to losing his life.
This time, he secured a Danish point.
The midfield star scored Denmark's goal in the 1-1 premiere against Slovenia.
It has been three years, or more precisely 1,100 days, since Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch in Denmark's home premiere against Finland in the European Championship 2021. The midfielder suffered an acute cardiac arrest – and it was uncertain whether he would survive.
He did.
And his football career continued after many twists and turns.
When Denmark played their first European Championship match on Sunday evening, Eriksen was in the starting eleven, and it was he who initiated the scoring. In the 17th minute, he held himself forward and scored 1-0, elegantly played through by Jonas Wind.
Eriksen looked set to be the match hero for his Denmark, but with just a quarter of an hour left to play, Slovenia equalised. Erik Janza shot from distance after a corner, and via a Danish player, the ball found its way into the net.
The draw must be seen as a disappointment for Denmark, who were the dominant team for long periods.
It's always frustrating when you think you have the win in a small bag, and then you drop points, says Eriksen according to DR Sporten.
We lost energy, while they gained more energy towards the end of the match.
After the cardiac arrest in 2021, Eriksen had a pacemaker (an ICD) implanted, which is what allows the 32-year-old to still play elite football.
