Netherlands defender Daly Blind needed to overcome a “mental barrier” to play within the European Championship match in opposition to Ukraine after watching tv photographs of former teammate Christian Eriksson’s collapse a day earlier.
Blind was clearly emotional when he was substituted within the second half of the Netherlands’ 3-2 win on the Johan Cruyff Arena on Sunday. Before sitting down, he was hugged by Netherlands coach Frank de Boer and different crew employees.
Denmark’s crew physician stated Eriksson’s coronary heart stopped and “he is gone” earlier than being revived with a defibrillator after a fall in the course of the crew’s match in opposition to Finland on Saturday.
“Today I had to overcome a mental barrier for myself to play,” stated Blind, who was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in 2019 after he was recognized with an infected coronary heart muscle.
“To me it was recognizable,” Blind informed Dutch broadcaster NOS after the match in Amsterdam.
The Daily Blind left the pitch in tears when he arrived:
“What occurred final evening had a huge effect on me. Not simply because Christian is a really shut buddy of mine, but in addition due to what occurred to me. I contemplated not taking part in tonight, an enormous psychological step I needed to take. pic.twitter.com/ZSmjOpfraT
— (@TheEuropeanLad) June 13, 2021
“That is why it grew to become so overwhelming for me and my household. My dad and mom and spouse.” Ericsson was a fan favourite in Amsterdam when he performed for Ajax from 2010–13. He later moved to Tottenham and Inter Milan, the place he’s a teammate of Netherlands defender Stefan de Verge.
Two orange-clad followers maintain an image of a coronary heart and an indication saying “Eriksson Stay Strong” subsequent to the participant’s quantity 10 Denmark shirt.
Fans within the stadium cheered because the display screen confirmed a message in Dutch that stated “Christians get well.”
Blind stated he thought of not taking part in on Sunday.
“Yesterday’s images … Ericsson’s had a huge impact on me and I realized a lot,” Blind stated.
“And that has made it difficult for me to step on the pitch today.” Netherlands coach Frank de Boer, who labored with Ericsson throughout his time at Ajax, stated he went by way of an “emotional rollercoaster” after seeing what occurred to Ericsson, who was in secure situation at a hospital in Copenhagen. is in.
“For the Daily Blind, it was definitely very emotional,” de Boer stated.
Ericsson’s collapse additionally revived the reminiscences of Ajax midfielder Abdelhak Nouri, who was left with extreme mind harm in 2017 after falling throughout a preseason pleasant in Austria.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
