Soccer once again had a beautiful story to offer on Saturday evening. Christian Eriksen celebrated his comeback to the national team – and it could hardly have gone better.
All football fans associate a bad moment with Christian Eriksen in the Danish jersey. At the last European Championship in the summer, the midfielder’s life was hanging by a thread, he had a cardiac arrest on the pitch. But thanks to the quick and good efforts of the doctors, everything turned out well in the end, the 30-year-old was able to return to the football pitch after a few months, and now plays with a defibrillator.
Eriksen made his competitive comeback about a month ago and now plays for Brentford FC in the Premier League. The fine footballer made his next comeback on Saturday evening, when he was back in the national team. The first big goosebump moment in the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam finally came after the break: Eriksen was substituted, there was a standing ovation in the stadium, even Bonds coach Louis van Gaal stood up and applauded. The Dane, of course, noticed this and returned the applause to the stands, probably one of the most special moments of his career. He felt “like a footballer again”, he told Dutch TV station NOS afterwards. “I was really looking forward to it.”
287 days after his cardiac arrest, he was playing for his country for the first time again. And the comeback could hardly have gone better, as Eriksen put the ball in the top left for 2:3 not even two minutes after his substitution. The second big goosebump moment for the Dane, who played in Amsterdam between 2009 and 2013 and therefore knows the stadium very well. “I’ve had good years here and I still know where the goal is,” said Eriksen, whose brace was only hindered by the aluminium. That did nothing to dampen his good mood and permanent grin.
“Enjoy it – and welcome back “
“It’s a pleasure to see him play football,” said national coach Kasper Hjulmand, who also reported that he had given his protégé one thing above all on the pitch: “Enjoy it – and welcome back.” The result, Oranje won 4:2, was totally secondary in the end, because the most important message is: Christian Eriksen is back! “I had goosebumps,” Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt also said. “It’s great that he’s back – the way he scored shows his class. For the fans it was the perfect game.”
Brentford FC, for example, tweeted, “A perfect story.” And Eriksen himself posted a picture of himself including a cheering fist and wrote: “I can’t put into words how I missed this feeling.” Missing the fine technician was something all football fans – and Oranje fans certainly experienced the goal they’ve been most excited about so far this evening.
