Shocking moment with a happy ending for the Arsenal FC football players: Norwegian international Frida Maanum is in a “stable condition” after collapsing in the League Cup final against Chelsea FC (1-0 after extra time), as the Gunners announced, her teammates cheered her seventh cup triumph “for Frida”.
The 24-year-old was “conscious, speaking and in a stable condition,” Arsenal said during the encounter. Maanum collapsed in stoppage time in the second half without any intervention from an opponent and was treated immediately. “She continues to be closely monitored by our medical team. We are all with you, Frida,” the club continued.
“Something like that is always very difficult”
Maanum required medical treatment for around seven minutes and a respirator mask was placed on her face. Eventually she was taken off the pitch on a stretcher. Both teams remained on the pitch during the treatment period, Stina Blackstenius (116th minute) shot Arsenal to victory a short time later.
But after the coup against Chelsea FC involving Olympic champion Melanie Leupolz and the German national player Sjoeke Nüsken, the Swede also spoke primarily about her “teammate and friend” Maanum. “Something like this is always very difficult,” she told the BBC. “She is very important to us. You worry when something like that happens. We wanted to give her this victory because she couldn’t be with us.”
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Coach Jonas Eidevall also emphasized: “The first thing that interests us after the game is not the victory, but how Frida is doing. And we are so glad that she is doing well. This is much more important than this.”
England international Alessia Russo, who came on for Manuum, told the BBC: “It’s devastating to see one of your teammates collapse. We all wish and pray that she is ok. “I think it was written in the stars that her best friend (Stina Blackstenius/ed.) scored the winning goal for her,” said Russo.
