Audio: What promises Wolfsburg from Christian Eriksen? (1 min)
Status: 11.09.2025 11:52 a.m.
VfL Wolfsburg has succeeded in a spectacular coup with the commitment of the Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen. The playmaker played more than 310 games in the English Premier League, but almost left his life on the pitch at the 2021 EM when he suffered a cardiac arrest.
If you remember the summer day of June 12 in Copenhagen four years ago, you may still not think that Christian Dannemann Eriksen will play football again. Or that he is still alive. Because the pictures that take place shortly before the break of the then group game of the European Championship between host Denmark and Finland in the Copenhagen arena could hardly be beaten in drama.
In the 43rd minute, Eriksen had fallen onto the lawn after assuming a throw -in. Without external influence. As if the flash hit him. There the Topstar Danish was then motionless on his stomach. With twisted eyes.
Both teams immediately hurried to him, and medical help waved. The shock was to look at everyone who stood at Eriksen at these moments. Many of his teammates, who had stood around him as a privacy screen, cried.
In these minutes, which felt like an eternity, it had to be expected with the worst. The death of football professional had to be expected. “It was the darkest day in my life,” said today’s HSV captain Yussuf Poulsen, who was in the Danish starting eleven at the time.
German emergency doctor saves Eriksen life
Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen fought for minutes (“I immediately thought that it looks bad”) and the German intensive and emergency doctor Jens Kleinefeld, who was in use as an emergency doctor that day, for Eriksen’s life. With cardiac massages and the use of a defibrillator, they finally managed to bring the playmaker back to life.
Under the applause of the spectators, he was brought out of the stadium on a stretcher. However, the health of the 33-year-old continued to be unclear. But Eriksen was again conscious at that time. Back in life – after looking at death.
“I was dead for five minutes,” he later told the broadcaster “DR1”. He had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, for which hereditary thickening of the heart muscle was said to have been responsible. In the hospital, the doctors implanted a pacemaker to the then professional of Inter Milan. After six days he was able to leave the hospital in Copenhagen. A little miracle in view of the pictures from June 12th.
“I didn’t know that I was already in heaven”
The game of his Danes against Finland was actually continued at the time. After the redeeming news had come that Eriksen was on the way of improvement, the game was kicked off after a 107-minute interruption with the second half. A farce. A mad joke from the UEFA considering the dramatic events.
“It was insane and proof that the money ruled. We felt under pressure,” said Thomas Delaney later in the podcast “Summerenen 21”. HSV access Poulsen remembered on ZDF that he had played as in a trance, nothing but nothing in the second half. That the encounter was lost with 0: 1 – the Danes didn’t care. It was only important that Eriksen was alive.
The game designer himself has only fragments of memories of the fateful day. He found out later how critical his situation was, said the Neu-Wolfsburg: “I didn’t know that I was already in heaven.”
Comeback with pacemaker in England
At the time, the Danish recordman didn’t think of an end to his career. He wanted to fight back into football. It was a very rocky and long way for him, which was paved with many hurdles. At Inter, Eriksen was not allowed to continue his career because the regulations of the series of series do not allow players with a defibrillator. The contract with the Milan association was terminated in December.
Christian Eriksen played for Manchester United from 2022 to 2025.
But Eriksen didn’t give up. Why too? The doctors had given him the green light to continue his profile career. And the English Premier League Club FC Brentford signed the Danes shortly afterwards. A few months later, Eriksen moved to Manchester United, for which he played until the end of last season.
He also celebrated his comeback in the national team in 2022. In the meantime, the 33-year-old, who stayed in Malmö Fit before his signature in Wolfsburg, completed 144 missions for his home country. Many more should follow his taste. Good performance in the dress of the “wolves” must be the basis for this.
Wolfsburg debut against Cologne on Saturday?
“For me, VfL Wolfsburg is the first stop in the Bundesliga – I’m very much looking forward to this new adventure. I am convinced that we can make a difference in Wolfsburg,” said Eriksen, who could celebrate his debut for the Lower Saxony on Saturday (3:30 p.m., in the Livecenter at NDR.de).
It is likely that the 33-year-old will quickly settle on the Mittelland Canal. Because in Wolfsburg there are five other Danes under contract next to him. One of them, left -back Joakim Maehle, stood on June 12, 2021 right next to Eriksen when his heart stopped beating in the meantime.
VfL professional Maehle was right next to Eriksen when cardiac arrest was right next to Eriksen
The 28-year-old had made the throw-in after the mischief started. “I saw as he was lying on his side, his eyes were completely twisted. Our doctor said: He has no pulse. And I thought: it could go really bad.” The fact that the sheet was still turned to do it has to appear to everyone who was in the stadium that day like a miracle.
