I Wish I Wasn’t Writing This
An unexpected extension to a previous article
Last week, I published an article entitled ‘Why the European Championship Matters, Even If You Don’t Care About Soccer.’ You likely did not read it, and that’s fine. It is for a niche audience, despite its reference to the de-facto global game. I did not expect to write a follow-up piece, but everyone should have a reason to care about what transpired this past weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, Denmark hosted Finland in their first match of Euro 2020 (in 2021), the European Championship of soccer (football). It was a grand occasion between this Scandinavian pair. The continent’s footballing showpiece was postponed a year due to the pandemic. Fans were in attendance — albeit at a limited capacity. Denmark had high expectations as a tournament dark horse. It was Finland’s maiden voyage at a major international competition. There were subplots aplenty to celebrate under the prolonging sunshine over Copenhagen.
In a heartbeat, everything changed. Christian Eriksen, Denmark’s talismanic playmaker, collapsed on the field as the match approached halftime. There was nobody around him. Contact injuries can be severe, but non-contact incidents are often the most precarious. In this case, it was cardiac arrest.
Within seconds, players of both nations, stadium spectators, and millions worldwide grasped the escalating gravity of the situation. We were witnessing a young man, partner, and father fight for his life before our very eyes — in the centerpiece of what was supposed to be a celebration. Sadly, similar incidents have occurred before — and it will likely not be the last time. But for those seconds, which felt like minutes, which felt like hours, those of us watching absorbed more than a traumatic event. Yes, the story goes deeper.
The word ‘heroism’ is frequently exaggerated. Any sports fan has their athletic heroes. Christian Eriksen is one in Denmark. In times of great crisis, however, we are reminded of genuine acts of heroism.
On 9/11, they came from the NYPD, FDNY, civilians, and passengers of the ill-fated airplanes. During this pandemic, frontline workers near and far continue to define its true meaning. The same goes for our Armed Forces every day.
Saturday in the Danish capital was different. In addition to the skilled medical professionals, athletes were heroes in the most honest and earnest context. In the immediate aftermath of Eriksen’s distress, Denmark’s captain, Simon Kjær, attended to his compatriot and friend. He freed Christian’s airways and positioned him for the onrushing medics to do their job. He then, along with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, ran to console Eriksen’s partner and the mother of his two children. It was clear she feared the worst. Everyone did.
CPR and defibrillation are the stuff of fictional medical dramas on television and in film. It was surreal and terrifying to see both performed live, unscripted, and in a real-life circumstance. Television viewers only caught fleeting glimpses of the life-saving procedures to the credit of Eriksen’s teammates — actual athletic heroes. They formed a circle around their stricken teammate — a human shield — to prevent vulturous lenses from capturing the unknown fate of one of their own. Many were in tears. There were Finnish ones too.
The match was suspended while the world refreshed Twitter to discover the desperate outcome of a person who was doing what he loves while representing his country. After my brief (atheistic) “prayer,” images and reports began to surface that Eriksen was conscious. He was alive. His children would have their father. His partner would have her love. His country would have their golden boy. His teammates would have their star.
Incredibly, it was Christian who encouraged his boys to resume the game later the same day after receiving medical assurance over his well-being. Ironically, he was in better spirits than them. The debate over whether the match should have resumed so quickly after a near-death ordeal will undoubtedly linger.
The Danish band of brothers, some still shedding tears, returned to applause from the Finnish team and the entire stadium. During the extended delay, opposing supporters began playing “name tennis,” with the Finnish guest contingency yelling ‘CHRISTIAN’ and the host Danes returning ‘ERIKSEN’. In my previous article, I wrote about how this tournament was a rare offering of unity during a time of acute national fragmentation. Never did I expect it to manifest under such profound and tragic circumstances.
If I could summarize this pair of articles in one word, it is simple: heart. We saw the absolute worst — but we also saw the very best. And the best won. Modern medicine and the human spirit were indefatigable in those heartwrenching minutes of uncertainty. Heightened awareness of life-saving techniques is here to stay. Let’s not forget this can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere — even to a world-class athlete during a cultural spectacle in his home country.
A visibly weakened Denmark team went on to lose the game. It was Finland’s greatest ever victory in men’s football. Congratulations to them for their display of pure determination and compassion. The Danish daily newspaper, Ekstra Bladet, summed it up poignantly:
‘Denmark Lost. But Life Won.’ (translated from Danish)
Euro 2020 is still a competition of 24 European nations kicking around a ball. But you can’t say it doesn’t matter.
