The people who rescued Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the Euro Denmark-Finland match, received the UEFA President's Distinction on Tuesday, announced the body which awards this honorary award each year. Among the nine recipients is Danish captain Simon Kjaer, who put his teammate, who had just collapsed on the pitch, in Copenhagen on June 12, in a lateral position. The defender also initiated the cardiopulmonary reaction procedure, and urges the other players to form a circle around the N.10 when he was receiving treatment from the medical teams.
Eriksen, who remained unconscious for long minutes, was saved by a cardiac massage then the electric shock of a defibrillator.
After the immense fright, and the worldwide wave of support that followed, he left the hospital on June 18, having had a miniature defibrillator implanted.
Today, the Inter Milan midfielder (29), in "excellent shape" according to the Italian club, does not know if he will be able to resume his career.
“Everyone knew their role and knew what to do.
We left our emotions in the locker room.
Afterwards, of course, we reacted like everyone else, ”declared Mogens Kreutzfeldt, chief medical officer for the Euro in Copenhagen, who was decorated.
"Unlimited admiration"
“I have boundless admiration for the extraordinary reaction and calm shown by the doctors and the medical team.
These skills were decisive for Christian's survival, ”responded UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.
They are "the real heroes of the Euro", continued the Slovenian leader.
The UEFA President's Award, created in 1998, rewards “exceptional achievement, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities”, in the words of the European body.
She decorated in 2020 the retired Ivorian striker Didier Drogba.
The people decorated:
Medical team on site: Mogens Kreutzfeldt (chief doctor), Frederik Flensted (stadium medical manager), Anders Boesen (lawn doctor), Peder Ersgaard (ambulance driver).
UEFA medical managers on site: Jens Kleinefeld, Valentin Velikov
Danish team medical team: Morten Skjoldager (physio accompanying the team doctor), Morten Boesen (team doctor), Simon Kjaer (Danish team captain)
