New Downs Danish sporting director on Eriksen resurrection: 'It's much, much bigger than football'

Newly-appointed Mamelodi Sundowns sporting director Flemming Berg gave insight into how Danish nationals reacted to their national footballing hero Christian Eriksen returning to play again after suffering a cardiac arrest last year.

Berg called it "something much, much bigger than football".

The midfielder collapsed in the middle of the pitch during a game at the delayed 2020 European Championships against Finland at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

Eriksen was unconscious for more than five minutes, doctors who attended to him on the spot said.

READ | Mamelodi Sundowns announce former Chelsea scout as new sporting director

The incident sent shockwaves globally and brought up harrowing memories of Cameroonian Marc-Vivien Foe's fatal on-pitch collapse and Fabrice Muamba's survival of the same tragic fate.

"The thing with Christian Eriksen and what happened at the Euros was a hard situation for anyone," said Berg, who was the Danish Football Union talent development manager at the time.

"It was obviously most difficult for Christian and his family and everyone around the team but for the fans in general.

"To see him back makes us all so happy … happy for him, his family and Danish football in general. This became something much, much bigger than football.

"Everyone was worried about how he would be, not if he came back and played back and played football, but about his well-being. It had been in everyone's mind.

"To see him back playing well for Brentford in the Premier League - I saw his game against Chelsea, and he scored a great goal - and playing for Denmark again was such a joy.

"Football people all over the world were happy to see him back. What a fantastic story."

Eriksen was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter