Soccer-Danes face emotional Parken return for Belgium Euro clash
15/06/2021 13:34
COPENHAGEN, June 15 (Reuters) - Days after playmaker
Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest, Denmark return to
the Parken Stadium to face Belgium in a game that could prove
crucial to their Euro 2020 fate.
Having lost 1-0 to Finland in the aftermath of Eriksen's
collapse, Kasper Hjulmand's side have been trying to recover in
time to face a Belgium team who thumped Russia 3-0 in their
opener, and they will have to do so without their best player.
"I have said that Eriksen is the heart, the pulse, the
rhythm of our team. He has an incredible ability to perceive
time, space and rhythm in a football match, (but) he won't be
there on Thursday," Hjulmand told reporters.
"We have a lot of other players who can contribute, and
skilled players who can also find the rhythm of the match. We
are putting something together that will be difficult for
Belgium. I'm sure of that," he added.
At training in the town of Helsingor this week, several
Danish players still appeared shocked after the events at Parken
where Eriksen had to receive CPR before being removed to a
nearby hospital where he is recovering.
The positive outcome for the 29-year-old cannot mask the
trauma suffered by some in the Denmark squad, and Hjulmand has
spoken openly about the strong feelings in the camp.
"It's totally OK if someone does not have the emotions
needed to not give everything in the game. We need to prepare
for an emotional trip to Parken," he said.
"It will be a special atmosphere. We have to prepare
mentally, the players are used to that. What are some of the
emotions that can hit us? It's going to be weird to come back,
we're going to be met with a lot of emotions."
Those emotions will not be limited to the Danes. Belgium
striker Romelu Lukaku is a good friend of Eriksen as the two
play together for Italian club Inter Milan.
Lukaku celebrated one of his goals against Russia by running
to a TV camera and saying "Chris, Chris, I love you" on Saturday
evening, hours after the stricken midfielder had regained
consciousness.
Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld, a former team mate of
Eriksen at Tottenham Hotspur, spoke of his shock at the
incident, but warned that his side still had their sights set on
victory in Copenhagen.
"How the (the Danes) handled that situation is incredible. A
textbook example, and for that they have my eternal respect. But
we will try to win," he told the Belgian FA website http://www.rbfa.be/en.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor
Editing by Christian Radnedge)
((philip.oconnor@thomsonreuters.com;))