Schmeichel slams ‘ridiculous’ UEFA call after Eriksen collapse

Will Ford

Peter Schmeichel says UEFA’s decision to play on after Christian Eriksen’s collapse was “ridiculous”.

The former Spurs star dropped to the ground at the end of the first half and required CPR treatment on the pitch.

The Denmark players shielded their teammate from the cameras and were visibly distressed.

Eriksen was rushed to hospital before UEFA confirmed the game would continue on Saturday evening, with Finland coming out on top 1-0.


READ MORE: The Mailbox loves Christian Eriksen and Denmark


Schmeichel – whose son Kasper was in goal for the Danes – has hit out at UEFA for giving the players few alternatives.

He said: “I want to put on record that it is absolutely ridiculous that UEFA come up with a solution like that,” Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Something terrible happens and UEFA gives the players an option to go out and play the game the last 55 minutes or whatever it was or come back at 12 o’clock today, I mean what kind of option is that?

“So you go back to your hotel, in the case for the Danes is 45 minutes away, you cannot sleep, you might not even sleep because watching trauma like that has a massive effect on you of course and then get back on the team bus at 8 to play the rest of the game.

“It was not an option, it was a ridiculous decision by UEFA and they should have tried to work out a different scenario and show a bit of compassion and they didn’t.

“I don’t know [about alternative solutions], but why 12 o’clock? Why take TV scheduling and all of that into consideration. Why 12 o’clock?

“That was ridiculous and to be fair, the result of the game is completely irrelevant and I have to be very honest… we obviously made a decision if the players come out and play they will only play if Christian is alright and by alright it means he is alive and speaking to the players, they knew he was okay.

“That was very, very hard and I could not understand the decision, I couldn’t and the game was irrelevant, totally. How can you play?”

Schmeichel also revealed that his son Kasper told Eriksen’s partner, Sabrina Kvist Jensen, that the midfielder was breathing after she rushed to the side of the pitch.

“You could see from the reaction of my son Kasper running over to her and I obviously spoke to him last night and he went over to say Christian is breathing and she actually believed he had passed away and just to confirm that he went back to be absolutely sure he wasn’t saying anything that was out of order,” said Schmeichel.

 

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