Denmark, Belgium pause to honor Christian Eriksen during Euro 2020 match
Just as Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku told reporters on Wednesday, personnel from both Belgium and Denmark, as well as the match official, paused during the 10th minute of Thursday's UEFA European Championship game to honor Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen, Lukaku's teammate at Serie A club Inter Milan, suffered cardiac arrest during Saturday's game against Finland and wears the No. 10 shirt for Denmark. He is in stable condition at a hospital near Copenhagen's Parken Stadium, the venue for Thursday's fixture.
Tributes for Eriksen began well before kickoff, as supporters representing both nations sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" to show their support for the playmaker. A massive "Eriksen" jersey was also displayed on the pitch.
Belgium then presented Denmark with a No. 10 shirt signed by the team.
Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen confirmed ahead of Thursday's match that Eriksen will have a defibrillator implanted at some point. It's unclear at this early stage of his recovery if the 29-year-old will return to playing professionally.
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