Euro 2020: Tributes pour in for Christian Eriksen as Denmark falls to Belgium (video)
The start of Denmark's first match since Christian Eriksen's terrifying collapse, which ended in a 2-1 Belgium victory, saw a number of special moments.
The game opened with Denmark's Yussuf Poulsen scoring a goal in the second minute. The team's celebration was emotional, to say the least:
A special moment for Denmark as they take an early lead vs. Belgium 🇩🇰❤️ pic.twitter.com/XPjpBofOBJ
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 17, 2021
A massive Eriksen jersey was also unfurled ahead of the match, dedicated to the still-hospitalized midfielder.
The giant jersey for Denmark was dedicated to Christian Eriksen ❤️pic.twitter.com/YhpMqWD3kk
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 17, 2021
Fans from both sides also joined to show support for Eriksen:
Denmark and Belgium fans coming together ahead of their Euro 2020 clash 🇩🇰🇧🇪
Some things are bigger than football. pic.twitter.com/dbs1PKvCPE— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 17, 2021
Even Belgium joined in the 10th minute, when they agreed to stop play so the home crowd at Parken Stadium could deliver a loud ovation in honor of Eriksen, who wears No. 10 for Denmark.
Both teams stopped playing to join in the tribute:
The game stops in the 10th minute for a round of applause for Christian Eriksen.
Bigger than sports 👏 @ESPNFC pic.twitter.com/6HPpEHouGP— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 17, 2021
That tribute was planned ahead of the match, with Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku telling reporters about it the previous day. Lukaku is teammates with Eriksen at Inter Milan and spoke of how he reacted to the awful moment:
"I cried a lot because I was scared, obviously. We lived strong moments together for a year and a half. I spent more time with him than my family, so my thoughts are with him, his girlfriend, his two kids and his family."
Lukaku had already done a tribute of his own in a match against Russia, which came right after Denmark's match against Finland. After the first of his two goals, he ran to a television camera and shouted "Chris, Chris, strength boy, I love you," per the Associated Press.
Eriksen remains hospitalized in Copenhagen since going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated. He has since posted an encouraging update on social media, giving a thumbs-up. His hospital is reportedly close to the stadium, so it's quite possible he heard the Danish fans' ovation from his bed.
Belgium scored twice in the second half behind Kevin de Bruyne, who came on as a substitute after fracturing his nose and eye socket in last month's Champions League final. De Bruyne's phenomenal assist set up Thorgan Hazard for the equalizer, while he scored himself to finish a wonderful sequence of passes 16 minutes later.
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