Former Bolton midfielder Muamba, whose heart stopped beating for 78 minutes in an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham nine years ago after suffering a cardiac arrest, told Sky Sports News watching Christian Eriksen collapse brought back feelings he did not want to relive again
Monday 14 June 2021 07:21, UK
Fabrice Muamba says Christian Eriksen being alive is the best thing to come out of Euro 2020 after the Denmark midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest on the field against Finland on Saturday.
Former Bolton midfielder Muamba, whose heart stopped beating for 78 minutes in an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham nine years ago after suffering a cardiac arrest, said watching Eriksen collapse brought back feelings he did not want to relive again.
Eriksen is currently being treated at Rigshospitalet, one of Denmark's top hospitals, where he is in a stable condition after being given emergency CPR on the pitch.
"Him being alive is the best thing that can come out of Euro 2020," Muamba told Sky Sports News.
"Regardless of who wins the tournament, it's that Christian is okay, he is healthy, if he can remember people which is even better news. That's what this Euros is about now, it's about making sure Christian can get home safe and help to build his recovery from there.
"You have to give credit to the medical staff, how quickly they got on to the pitch, how well they were able to cover him.
"This game was worldwide, everyone was watching it, it could be a lot of pressure for the medical people how to deal with this situation so for them to get it right and able to do the CPR and get Christian into position they deserve a lot of credit.
"Now that we are hearing he is in a better position, which is a good news, overall it seems like everything is moving in the right direction."
Asked how it made him feel to see Eriksen collapse, Muamba added: "I was watching it, and it happened, then my phone was going off like crazy and I just said, 'Oh no, not this again, please'.
"There's a feeling that you don't want to relive again. Those are the feelings that I have put down right to the back, and to see somebody going through it, you are just like, 'Please come through', and whatever else happens will be a bonus.
"For me to hear that he is responding to his recovery well is probably the best news of this Euros.
"I was worried about his family because a lot of people focus on the guy who is on the floor but they forget he has a family and his children. So it's more of a concern that they get a check-up after the incident because it could have a long-lasting effect on the family."
The doctor who treated Muamba after he collapsed against Tottenham in 2012 praised the swift medical reactions in treating Eriksen, but says the football authorities still need to do more to support players lower down the football pyramid.
The images of Eriksen collapsing on the pitch during Denmark's opening Euro 2020 match against Finland and being given emergency CPR brought back painful memories for Dr Andrew Deaner.
He was the doctor on hand to treat Muamba after the former Bolton midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham nine years ago.
"It brought back memories but it's great to see medical staff coming on and starting CPR at an early stage," Deaner told Sky Sports News.
"I could obviously recognise what was happening and could see they were using a defibrillator but of course, like everyone else, feared the worst.
"The norm is what happened with Christian (Eriksen) and if CPR is started effectively and you have early access to defibrillators, you should get a positive result.
"It's another example that everyone should recognise the importance of early CPR, learn how to do it and make sure in your local community you have defibrillators available quickly.
"The Football authorities insist on having trained staff nearby and having defibrillators nearby and maybe what we did with Fabrice (Muamba) and the work we did afterwards has made sure that's the case at all important matches.
"I hope this will also be the case in less important matches because it is those who collapse in lower league matches and amateur matches who may not have access to resuscitation and defibrillators as easily.
"Let's hope this is another example that pushes the authorities to make sure defibrillators are available at every football ground, at Hackney Marshes and places all over the country where people play football on a Sunday or a Saturday."
