Anthony Taylor praised for his ‘perfect’ handling of Christian Eriksen’s on-field cardiac arrest by UEFA’s chief refereeing officer… after English official immediately signalled for medics to treat the Danish star within seconds
English referee Anthony Taylor has been hailed by UEFA’s top refereeing chief for his ‘perfect’ handling of Christian Eriksen‘s sudden cardiac arrest against Finland at Euro 2020.
Taylor was officiating when Eriksen collapsed just before half-time in Denmark’s tournament opener on 12 June in Copenhagen.
The referee immediately recognised the seriousness of the situation and called for medics to rush onto the pitch to treat Eriksen within seconds.
Anthony Taylor has been praised for his ‘perfect’ handling of Christan Eriksen’s cardiac arrest
The midfielder required 13 minutes of CPR after he suffered a cardiac arrest against Finland
The shocking incident left the midfielder needing 13 minutes of CPR before he was rushed to the nearby Rigshospitalet for further treatment.
UEFA chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti said on Friday: ‘Everyone recognised that Anthony was perfect. He managed this difficult moment in a great way.
‘We are proud about his behaviour, we are proud about his cold blood.
‘We recommended to the referees that safety is first, it is the most important target for us.
UEFA chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti said Taylor’s actions at the time were ‘amazing’
‘The referees must, and they are ready, to stop the match immediately in these situations. Anthony was amazing.’
Taylor’s performances in the group phase of the tournament have led to him being awarded the Italy v Austria last-16 match at Wembley on Saturday night.
Asked why he had been appointed for the match, Rosetti said: ‘He’s a top referee. He’s an excellent referee and he is having a great tournament.
Christian Eriksen has been discharged from hospital after being fitted with a heart-starter
‘This is an important match, like the other seven (last-16 ties). There is no other explanation.’
The Danish FA confirmed that Eriksen has been discharged from hospital following a successful operation.
The Denmark midfielder has been fitted with a implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to regulate his heart’s rhythm.
Eriksen has since been to visit his team-mates, and has now returned to his family.