How Christian Eriksen’s Cardiac Device Was Activated During His Collapse

Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen is recovering at home following a cardiac event during a recent friendly match between Denmark and Ukraine. His Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) functioned as designed, delivering a shock to correct an irregular heart rhythm, which allowed him to regain consciousness and walk off the pitch—a major technological victory for athlete safety.

How does an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) save lives during a match?

An ICD acts as a continuous, internal safety net. Unlike the external defibrillators used during Eriksen’s 2021 collapse at the Eurocopa, this device is implanted directly into the body to monitor heart rhythms in real time.

According to Michael Papadakis, a cardiology expert at St George’s, University of London, the device is essentially a “box of shocks.” It constantly monitors the heart, and if it detects a life-threateningly fast or irregular rhythm, it applies an electrical discharge to reset the heart to a normal pattern.

The experience of receiving such a shock is intense. Professor Aneil Malhotra, a sports cardiologist at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport, describes the sensation as feeling “like a punch to the chest.” However, he notes that the process is highly efficient, comparing the heart’s reset to “turning a computer off and back on again.”

The two main types of ICDs

Medical technology currently offers two primary ways to implement this protection:

• Subcutaneous ICDs: These are placed under the skin, usually near the armpit, using wires that run under the skin to the chest.
• Directly connected ICDs: These connect directly to the heart and can function similarly to a pacemaker, sending regular electrical signals if the heart rate becomes too slow.

Why are sudden cardiac events becoming a focal point in professional football?

The incident involving Eriksen has reignited global conversations about the vulnerability of elite athletes. While professional football involves intense physical strain, the underlying causes of cardiac arrest can be diverse, ranging from genetic factors to inflammation or even allergic reactions to medication.

It is important to distinguish a cardiac arrest from a heart attack. A cardiac arrest occurs when the electrical impulses regulating the heart fail, causing blood to stop pumping. In young athletes, these events can be particularly unpredictable.

Dr. Steve Cox, CEO of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young, points out the scale of the issue. In the United Kingdom, sudden cardiac arrests claim the lives of 12 people under the age of 35 every single week. He warns that in roughly 80% of these cases, there are no warning signs or symptoms before the collapse occurs.

The history of the sport is marked by such tragedies, from the passing of Marc-Vivien Foe at Lyon to the near-fatal collapse of Fabrice Muamba at Bolton. More recently, in 2023, Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch, though he has since returned to football with Bristol Rovers.

Can athletes continue their careers after a cardiac incident?

The answer is increasingly yes, though it depends heavily on medical guidance and regional regulations. The era of automatic disqualification from sports following a heart condition is shifting toward a model of shared decision-making.

Professor Rachel Lampert, a sports cardiologist and electrophysiologist at the Yale School of Medicine, explains that doctors no longer simply dictate what an athlete can or cannot do. Instead, they discuss the specific risks and benefits of having an ICD, allowing the athlete to participate in the decision-making process.

However, professional landscapes remain inconsistent. For example, in Italy, footballers are strictly prohibited from playing at either the amateur or professional level if they have an implanted device. In contrast, players like Daley Blind have successfully returned to elite competition with Ajax and the Netherlands national team after being diagnosed with a heart condition.

What does the data say about cardiac risks in young athletes?

Screening protocols are becoming more rigorous to catch potential issues early. In the UK, screening programs for healthy individuals aged 14 to 35 suggest that approximately one in 300 people may be affected by underlying heart conditions.

In the specific context of professional football, Professor Malhotra’s research indicates a higher prevalence, suggesting that one in 250 young footballers might have a heart condition requiring medical follow-up. Furthermore, data suggests that Black athletes tend to show a higher incidence of sudden cardiac death than White athletes, though the exact reasons for this disparity remain unclear.

To mitigate these risks, the Premier League and the English Football League currently require all players to undergo medical examinations upon signing their first professional contracts, with follow-up screenings at ages 18 and 20. These tests utilize ECGs to check electrical activity and echocardiograms to examine the heart’s physical structure.