Daley Blind hit hard by Christian Eriksen's collapse at Euro 2020
Blind was clearly emotional when he was substituted in the second half of the Netherlands’ 3-2 victory at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Sunday (June 13). He was hugged by Netherlands coach Frank de Boer and other team staff before sitting down.
Denmark’s team doctor said Eriksen’s heart stopped and that “he was gone” before being resuscitated with a defibrillator after collapsing during the team’s match against Finland on Saturday (June 12).
Eriksen ‘was gone’ after suffering cardiac arrest, says Denmark team doctor
“Today I had to overcome a mental hurdle for myself to play,” said Blind, who had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted after being diagnosed with an inflamed heart muscle in 2019.
“For me it was recognisable,” Blind told Dutch broadcaster NOS after the match in Amsterdam. “That’s what made it so heavy for me and my family. My parents and wife.”
Eriksen was a fan favourite in Amsterdam when he played for Ajax from 2010-13. He later moved to Tottenham and Inter Milan, where he is a teammate of Netherlands defender Stefan de Vrij.
