Former Manchester United goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, has criticised UEFA for their ‘ridiculous’ decision to play on with Denmark’s Euro 2020 tie against Finland on Saturday after Christian Eriksen’s collapse.
The Inter Milan midfielder dropped to the ground towards the end of the first half and required CPR treatment from medical staff on the pitch.
Denmark players, who formed a protective shield around Eriksen even as he was treated, were visibly disturb and in pain.
Eriksen was eventually rushed to hospital and UEFA subsequently confirmed that the game would continue as Finland defeated Denmark 1-0, thanks to Joel Pohjanpalo’s only goal of the match.
But Schmeichel has now hit out at UEFA for offering the players few options.
“I want to put on record that it is absolutely ridiculous that UEFA comes 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 are 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.”
Leave a Reply