Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is ‘proud’ to have Simon Kjaer as his captain in the national team and says Christian Eriksen lived ‘something we can’t know.’
Eriksen is stable in hospital after he collapsing in Denmark vs. Finland on Saturday. The Inter midfielder suffered a heart attack and was given urgent CPR on the pitch.
Denmark players were able to talk to Eriksen via facetime the following day.
“It was damn nice to see him smile and laugh and be himself and just feel that he is there. It was a great experience and something that has helped me a lot,” Schmeichel told DR.
“I know his wife and his children, it is an absurd situation. The most important thing is that he feels well now, he has experienced something that we cannot know.”
Milan defender Simon Kjaer gave first aid to his friend and teammate, preventing him from swallowing his tongue and putting him in the recovery position before CPR started.
“I am incredibly proud to have Kjaer as captain,” the goalkeeper said.
“I was not surprised that he did what he did, he has incredible humanity. Also, Simon and Christian have spent a lot of time together in Milan.”
According to reports in Italy, Milan are also considering making Kjaer their captain for the next season.
The game was eventually resumed once the players knew Eriksen was out of danger, but UEFA gave them two options, asking them to resume the game immediately, or play it the following day.
Kasper’s father Peter, a former Denmark international and Manchester United star, said players had been threatened they would lose the game by default had they reject one of the two options.
“We were put in a position I don’t think we should have been put in,” Kasper said.
“It probably required that someone above us had said that it was not the time to make a decision and maybe should wait for the next day.
“We’re still in the tournament. Now, we have to try to see if we can win this and do it for Christian and do it for all the fans who sat with us and were just as powerless in the situation as we were.
“I have no doubt that this team has the unity, the strength to be able to come together and go out and do something special.”