Copenhagen: Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen was rushed to hospital after collapsing during his side's Euro 2020 opening match with Finland and being given CPR on the pitch on Saturday, with soccer officials later saying the player was stable and awake.
Eriksen collapsed suddenly in the 42nd minute of the match while running near the left touchline after a Denmark throw-in.
As a hush fell over the 16,000-strong crowd, his teammates gathered around him and one appeared to stick his fingers in Eriksen's mouth to clear his airway or check he hadn't swallowed his tongue.
As medics arrived on the scene and pumped Eriksen's chest, his teammates formed a ring around him. Danish broadcaster DR cut the live TV feed, instead showing aerial footage of the stadium.
The Danish football association later said on Twitter that the 29-year-old was awake at the nearby Rigshospitalet, where he was being examined.
"We have been in contact with him and the players have spoken to Christian," said Peter Moller of the Danish Football Association.
The game was initially suspended but later resumed.
"He is doing well and they are playing the match for Christian," Moller said.
Later in the day, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, a teammate of Eriksen at soccer club Inter Milan in Italy, ran to a TV camera and shouted "Chris, Chris, I love you" after scoring in his side's opening match against Russian.
People gathered outside bars in central Copenhagen, many in tears, while Eriksen's condition remained unclear.
Officials held up sheets to hide the player from view while he was being treated, and the stadium announcer initially told fans that the game had been suspended.
The crowd at the Parken stadium in Copenhagen sang the Danish national anthem and chanted "Christian Eriksen" while they were waiting for news about the player.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Christian Eriksen and his family," Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo said on Instagram. "The world of football stands together hoping for good news. I'm counting on finding you soon back on the pitch, Chris! Stay strong!"
The teams were later able to resume the match, which Finland won 1-0.
