There are certain larger-than-life moments in history that had such a critical impact on mankind that many of us remember almost every single detail about the time and place we had found ourselves when THAT happened.On that day, 12 June 2021, exactly three years and four days ago, we were in the Mozzart Sport Kenya newsroom. It was one of those slow Saturdays, without too much action in prospect, with the ongoing EURO 2020 (don’t let the tournament’s official name fool you, it was postponed for a year due to a coronavirus outbreak) providing us with rather dull opening group games.That afternoon co-hosts Denmark were playing their maiden tie against their neighbours, Finland, and were favourites to win. Still, it was one of those games you’d usually forget the moment the final whistle blew. Despite a few promising chances, the Danes couldn’t break the deadlock in the opening 40 minutes. On the other hand, we were turning our heads to the other side of the office from TV as the clash itself had very little to offer. And then it happened. All of a sudden…Almost four years ago, Christian Eriksen’s harrowing collapse during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match in Copenhagen stunned the world. Now, he’s marking a remarkable comeback, as he joins the Danish squad for this summer’s European Championship finals in Germany.#Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/8pHtG68yKa— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) June 12, 2024 One of the colleagues almost yelled in despair and shock: “Guys, guys, check this out, Eriksen’s down! He just collapsed, damn, no one was even close to him.”That boring game captured our attention instantly, as the footage revealed that then-Inter Milan midfielder lying helplessly on the ground. The Danish doctors were doing their best to save the poor man’s life right there on the ground, while his teammates and the Finish players were gazing at those surreal scenes in blatant desperation. Some of them couldn’t hold back the tears. It’s not an exaggeration to say Eriksen was literally on the verge of dying, right there, right then.Eriksen collapses on the pitch! Thank God, he’s alive and stableThankfully, that remarkably quick medical reaction and the CPR he received, saved his life, as Eriksen suffered – the doctors would explain later – a cardiac arrest. After approximately 15 minutes of treatment, he was carried off on a stretcher as both sets of supporters chanted his name.Believe it or not, the game resumed after more than an hour when the news of Eriksen being awake and well in hospital broke out. None of us, of course, remembers what happened later with the Danes and Finns, nor does it matter, really. The latter won 1-0, but no one was interested in football anymore that day.Christian Eriksen’s first message: I’m fine, go Denmark!Eriksen’s recovery started and after undergoing surgery, he was discharged from hospital on June 18.His contract with Inter Milan was terminated later that year due to Serie A rules that disallow players to have any sort of ICD devices. Survivor on the road to recovery: Eriksen training alone at his boyhood clubHe returned to football at Brentford before joining Manchester United in July 2022. A few months prior to that, he returned to international football, coming on at half-time in a 4–2 loss against the Netherlands, scoring two minutes into his return.But today, today is a special day. Different, emotional, overwhelming, one of a kind for Christian Eriksen, Denmark, and all of us. Exactly 1,099 days after that shocking collapse in the 41st minute of the Finland tie, the 32-year-old returns to Euros. As the captain of his side that will face Slovenia in the opening group game, Eriksen will clock his first Denmark minutes at the continental showpiece after THAT day.One thing’s for sure – he already won, that man’s heart is stronger than ever. It still beats.By: BOJAN BABIC##NAJAVA_MECA_8161502##
