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Denmark-Finland match resumes on good news about stricken Christian Eriksen

Copenhagen, Jun 12 (EFE).- Saturday’s Euro 2020 Group B match here between Denmark and Finland resumed more than two hours after play was halted in the 41st minute due to the collapse of Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen.

“Following the request made by players of both teams, UEFA has agreed to restart the match between Denmark and Finland tonight,” the governing body of European soccer said.

“The last four minutes of the first half will be played, there will then be a 5-minute half-time break followed by the second half,” UEFA said on Twitter.

The Danish soccer federation said that Eriksen spoke with his teammates by telephone from the hospital.

Eriksen, 29, stumbled as he prepared to received a throw-in with the sides level at 0-0 and then fell forward.

His teammates ran to the spot and quickly summoned the trainers, who performed chest compressions and administered CPR as Eriksen lay unconscious on the ground.

The Danish squad formed a circle to provide a measure of privacy as the medical staff worked for 10 minutes to revive the stricken player before carrying him off the pitch on a stretcher.

A number of players from both teams were weeping, while goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and defender Simon Kjaer were among the Denmark squad members seen comforting a woman wearing an Eriksen shirt who came out onto the field.

BT Sport identified the woman as the player’s long-time girlfriend, Sabrina Kvist Jensen.

The 25,000 spectators allowed in the stands at Copenhagen’s Parken stadium fell silent and televised images showed many of them with their heads in their heads.

UEFA issued a statement suspending the match “due to a medical emergency.”

Once the players and staff left the field, an announcement over the stadium’s public address system asked fans to remain in the stands.

About an hour later, the spectators were informed in English and Danish on the stadium’s electronic message board that Eriksen was “awake and stable” at Rigshospitalet, less than 1 km away from Parken.

Media outlets disseminated a photo of Eriksen awake with an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose and one of his hands raised.

The match scheduled for later Saturday between Belgium and Russia will go forward as planned, UEFA said.

Commentators had speculated the contest in Saint Petersburg would be postponed because a number of the Belgian players have been teammates of Eriksen at Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan. EFE

alc-jap/dr

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