IN 2021
“Nobody can replace Christian”: This is how the Danish coach swears his team to the Belgians
Five days after the bitter defeat against Finland, Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand has to replace the heart of his team against Belgium. Christian Eriksen keeps his fingers crossed from his hospital bed.
© Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP
Denmark’s footballers had five days to process the images of the unconscious Christian Eriksen. Now they meet the vicious Belgians. With 25,000 fans behind them, but without the heart of their team.
There was long and wide discussion about whether the European Championship game between Denmark and Finland should have been allowed to restart after a two-hour break. The fact is: The Danes were pumped full of emotions and the thoughts of their teammates against the underdog and EM newcomer Finland. There is nothing more to be shaken about. On Thursday, five days and five nights after the Eriksen shock, coach Kasper Hujlmand’s men are now returning to Copenhagen. In the parking lot, i.e. the place where Christian Eriksen’s heart stopped beating for a short time on Saturday evening. For the Danes, sport is about everything. Ironically, a victory is needed against secret favorites Belgium. How is that supposed to work without the most important player? Hjulmand relies on the 25,000 fans and their energy.
Hjulmand sure: “It will be very emotional”
“It will be very emotional to come back in the park. And we will have huge support. We have to prepare for these emotions and then use the energy positively,” said coach Hujmand at a press conference on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old had already spoken of an “emotional fight” the day before. On the one hand, his players still have to process the images of Eriksen’s revival. And on the other hand, to play an important European Championship game, which is not only about something like returning to a normal footballing life, but also about the Danish team’s chances of not being eliminated from this tournament early. That Eriksen wants to watch the game from the hospital in his national jersey and that he has declared himself to be his team’s first fan via Instagram (“Now I will be cheering with the guys from the Danish team at the next games. Everyone plays for Denmark!”) , helps the Danes immensely. “Christian is here and it could have ended much worse,” said goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. “We want […] go out and do something extraordinary for Christian. “
Team spirit and fans should carry the players
Because if you just look at the starting position in terms of sport, the situation for the Danes is already complicated enough. The first game against the supposedly easiest group opponent Finland was lost. Now they have to face the definitely toughest group opponent, Belgium. And that without their most important player, who is without a doubt the 29-year-old Eriksen after many seasons at Ajax Amsterdam, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan. “Nobody can replace Christian. It’s impossible,” said Hjulmand. “Christian is the heart of our team. We have to find the rhythm that he normally gives us differently now.”
The Danes still have two strong central defenders in Christensen and Kjaer. In addition, in Höjbjerg and Delanay, two valuable assistants in midfield and the hard-working winger Braithwaite and Poulsen. But the man who connects all these elements and controls the game is missing. The Danish team is almost as dependent on Eriksen as the Polish one on Robert Lewandowski or the Croatian one on the former world footballer Luka Modric.
The Danes hope that their team spirit and the support of the crowd will carry them through everything that has recently happened. As recently as Tuesday, Hjulmand had given each individual player a choice whether he would like to play against Belgium or would rather not play for emotional reasons. On Wednesday he said: “Everyone is looking good. Training was an important step again. We have a strong team. We are happy and ready for the challenge.”
