Schmeichel: Denmark did not want to play after Eriksen’s cardiac arrest

Former goalkeeper Peter Schmeich el claims denmark' s players did not want to restart their Euro 2020 game against Finland after Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest.

Schmeichel, father of Leicester and Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, told ITV'S Good Morning Britain that he did not think the players had a choice.

Asked if it was the players' decision for the game to be re started after erik senh ad been taken to hospital, Schmeichel said: "Well that's an interesting debate.i actually saw an official quote fromUe fa yesterday sayingthat they were following the advice of the player, the players insisted on playing-i know that not to be the truth.

"Or, it's how you see the truth. They were left with three options, one was to play immediately and get the last 50 minutes played. The next one was to come in yesterday at 12 noon and finish the 50 minutes and the third option was to forfeit the game, 3-0.

"So – is it the players' wish to play? Did they have any choice really? I don't think they had.

"As you can hear from yesterday's press conference, the coach, he seriously regrets putting the players back on to the pitch."

Uefa defended its handling of the incident, and said in as tate ment:"ue fa is sure it treated the matter with utmost respect for the sensitive situation and for the players.

"It was decided to restart the match only after the two teams requested to finish the game on the same evening.

"The players' need for 48 hours' rest between matches eliminated other options."

Midfielder Eriksen collapsed on saturday during the first half of Denmark's opening match and was treated on the pitch before being taken to hospital.

Denmark's team doctor M or tenbo es en later confirmed Eriksen was stable having suffered a cardiac arrest and that "he was gone" prior to being resuscitated.

Eriksen's agent Martin Schoots told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that the player was in a" good mood" and jo king when he spoke to him on Sunday.

"We all want to understand what happened to him, he wants to do it too. The doctors are carrying out in-depth examinations. it will take time ," Schoots said.

Eriksen's team-mates formed a shield round him while he was being treated on the pitch and Peter Schmeichel is concerned about the effects the incident has had on Denmark's players.

He added: "It's very difficult to say exactly what the longer-term impact will be (for the players) from that experience, which I know having spoken to Kasper was very traumatic for everyone. It's a very dramatic scene when someone has to be defibrillated and shocked back to life."

Professor Sanjay Sharma, a cardiologist at St George's University Hospital in London and medical director for the london Marathon, said it was unlikely Erik s en would be able to continue with his playing career.

"If we assume he's had a virus, then that will certainly have caused inflammation and left a scar in the heart," professor Sharma told GMB.

"If something like that was capable of causing a sudden cardiac death a couple of days ago, then there's a chance that any remaining scar could possibly do that in the future.