'It is horrible': Fabrice Muamba says Eriksen collapse brought back 'scary' emotions

Fabrice Muamba suffered from a cardiac arrest during a game in 2012 (Photo: Friedemann Vogel/Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)Fabrice Muamba suffered from a cardiac arrest during a game in 2012 (Photo: Friedemann Vogel/Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Fabrice Muamba suffered from a cardiac arrest during a game in 2012 (Photo: Friedemann Vogel/Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

On Saturday, (12 July) Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed during the Euro 2020 opener against Finland

English referee Anthony Taylor immediately called medics onto the pitch, and Eriksen underwent prolonged treatment with compressions performed on his chest before being taken to hospital.

‘It is horrible’

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Footballer Fabrice Muamba, who suffered from a cardiac arrest during a game in 2012, said that watching Eriksen collapse brought back painful memories.

Muamba’s heart stopped beating for 78 minutes during an FA Cup quarter final against Tottenham Hotspur.

On medical advice, Muamba retired from professional football five months after the incident.

When Eriksen collapsed during the Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland, Muamba Tweeted: “Please God.”

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Speaking to BBC News, he said that the “first five or six minutes, God, I’m telling you man, it is horrible”.

He added: “It brought back stuff that I have put down in me, the emotions I have just had deep down in there and never wanted to relive it again.

“To watch it from that distance and not knowing what was going to happen - it’s scary.”

BBC apologises for Eriksen coverage

The BBC has issued an apology following outrage after it continued to broadcast when the footballer collapsed.

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The cameras kept cutting back to Eriksen on the ground, and his fellow teammates resorted to forming a barrier around him to block him from view.

For over 10 minutes, the cameras continued to roll capturing the moment Eriksen collapsed, whilst he received CPR and when he was eventually taken off the pitch on a stretcher.

The cameras also at one point cut to Eriken’s upset wife, who had gone onto the pitch.

In a statement, the BBC said: “We apologise to anyone who was upset by the images broadcast.

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“In-stadium coverage is controlled by Eufa as the host broadcaster, and as soon as the match was suspended, we took our coverage off the air as quickly as possible.”

Former Spurs striker Gary Lineker, who was in the BBC studio for the match, said: “In 25 years of doing this job, that was the most difficult, distressing and emotional broadcast I’ve ever been involved with.”

‘Awake and stable’

The Danish Football Association issued a statement on Saturday (12 July) night, saying that the midfielder was awake and in a stable position in hospital.

The statement said: “Christian Eriksen is awake and his condition remains stable. He remains hospitalised at Rigshospitalet for further examinations.”

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An update on the footballer was then given on Sunday (13 July) morning.

On Twitter, the Danish Football Association said: “Latest news: This morning we have spoken to Christian Eriksen, who has sent his greetings to his teammates. His condition is stable, and he continues to be hospitalised for further examination.

“The team and staff of the national team has received crisis assistance and will continue to be there for each other after yesterday’s incident.

“We would like to thank everyone for the heartfelt greetings to Christian Eriksen from fans, players, the Royal Families from both Denmark and England, international associations, clubs etc.

“We encourage everyone to send their greetings to the Danish FA, where we will make sure they are all passed on to Christian and his family.”

Additional reporting by PA.