Referee who witnessed Eriksen's collapse: “I could see his face when he fell”

Anthony Taylor, the referee of the 2020 Eurocup match that saw Christian Eriksen suffer cardiac arrest against Finland, says he knew immediately that the Danish midfielder was in an extreme situation. Just over seven weeks after that fateful evening in Copenhagen, Taylor believes the real heroes that night were the Danish captain, Simon Kjaer (for his great behavior, acting as a leader and reassuring those present), and medical staff, who managed to revive the Inter Milan midfielder, saving his life. He has spoken on 'BBC Sport'.

Question: Did you know right away that Christian Eriksen had a serious problem?

Answer: “I realized immediately. Christian was alone. The only thing that was close to him was a ball that bounced and hit his knee. Actually, I was looking directly at him when he fell. I could see his face as he fell. I knew of It was immediately obvious that something was wrong with the way his face looked and how he fell to the ground. That's what worried me the most. “

Question: What did you do next?

Answer: “My top priority is the safety of the players. That means that if an athlete is injured or not feeling well, they need medical help and I have to authorize it. That's all I did. I called a doctor on the field. The real heroes that night were the Danish captain and the doctors who performed the first cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of the defibrillator. “

Question: Were you in shock at the time?

Answer: “At the moment it happens, the only objective is to make sure that Christian receives the treatment that he needs. Clearly this was due to the quick reaction not only of his captain but also of the doctors. That is the conclusion. Football, at that time, it is irrelevant.

Question: Did you speak after the action with your family?

Answer: “I couldn't speak to my wife until two or three hours after the match ended, once we got back to the hotel. So many things happened … One of my team sent messages to all of our families telling them not to worry because We were all fine, but we were still dealing with a situation that everyone could see on TV. “

Question: Have you spoken to Eriksen since then?

Answer: “I have not personally spoken with him. I sent him a message in the days after the incident. I spoke with Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel before leaving the stadium after the match. The Danish players had spoken with Christian on FaceTime. Kasper came by. to see me and we had a brief conversation about how Christian was doing. “