Milan defender Simon Kjaer admits he cannot go more than one or two days without thinking of Denmark teammate Christian Eriksen’s collapse. ‘It has become part of us.’
Kjaer was hailed as a hero for his quick actions during their opening UEFA EURO 2020 game, putting Eriksen in the recovery position, shielding him from the crowd and cameras during cardiac massage and comforting the Inter midfielder’s partner.
“There’s a day, maybe two, that go by when I don’t think about it. No more than that,” Kjaer confessed to Sport Bild.
“It has become part of us. When we played against Scotland in the World Cup qualifier, we entered the Parkenstadion in normal circumstances, but the bad memories flared right up.
“I had to take it one step at a time. First during the warm-up, then the anthem, it all shocked me a little, personally.
“Once we started playing, though, the feeling was similar to what we experienced there against Belgium and Russia in the Euros. In that stadium, you feel more protected and secure than any other place in the world.”
The UEFA EURO 2020 game with Finland restarted after the two teams had been reassured Eriksen was alert and in hospital, but Kjaer was too shaken to participate in the rest of the match.
Denmark went on to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, losing to England in extra time.
Eriksen made a full recovery and was fitted with a cardiac implant, which means he cannot be allowed to play in Serie A.
Kjaer was asked if he still has hope of one day playing alongside Eriksen again, either for Denmark or in a Milan derby.
“I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it another hundred times: the only thing that matters is that Christian is ok. All the rest is not important for me.”
🇩🇰 #Eriksen, @simonkjaer1989 torna a parlare dei momenti drammatici vissuti in quel Danimarca-Finlandia: “Non ci penso magari un giorno o due, ma non di più. Anche con la Scozia sono tornati i brutti ricordi” 😨https://t.co/wNXfn8F4hp
— FcInterNews.it (@FcInterNewsit) September 22, 2021
What a great human being, respect from an Inter fan.
Man, that picture. Comforting Eriksen’s wife but you can see the fear in his eyes after what he’s just seen. Legend.