Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in a Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland in June. The entire football world mourned the tragic event. The medical care team treated him on the pitch before taking him to the hospital. The medical staff then fitted him with an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator).

Also Read: Top 10 Highest scoring defenders in the 21st century

The director of the FIGC, the Italian FA's technical-scientific committee, Franco Braconaro, has outlined the requirements Eriksen must meet if he is to play in Italy again.
But his fitness must not involve reliance on an ICD heart-starter, Braconaro stated.

"Right now Eriksen could not be eligible to play. If the player's ICD is removed because the pathology has been resolved, he can return to Inter."

Franco Braconaro | Director, FIGC.

Also Read: Players With the Most Assists In Football History

Eriksen had an ICD to monitor his heart after his cardiac arrest. The device can also act as a defibrillator by sending small, sharp shocks to the heart if it stops beating. It is in place as a safety measure for the Danish international. However, the FIGC not found it enough to allow Christian Eriksen to return to the pitch.

On the other hand, former Manchester United player Daley Blind, who plays for Ajax, was allowed to continue playing after being fitted with an ICD in 2019. Moreover, Blind has backed the Dane on playing football and ensured that it is not the end as he is one of the prime examples out there.

Hello and welcome to sports points another live coverage of Premier League football. Tonight, we will be covering the Premier League 2024-25 fixture of Manchester United vs Southampton at the iconic Old Trafford Stadium

This will be Manchester United's first home match of 2025 and Ruben Amorim and his men will be looking for a win since last month. However, United will be confident after knocking out Arsenal in the 3rd round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

On the other hand, the Saints have not won a game since their win against Everton in November last year.

So sit back and relax as we bring you all the live updates of this exciting fixture from our web desk. Keep refreshing the page to get new updates regularly.

Denmark's former national team captain and defender Simon Kjaer has announced his decision to hang up his boots. Kjaer captained Denmark to the semi-finals of the EURO 2020 and also won the Scudetto with AC Milan in the 2021-22 season. 

After a commendable career spent playing for clubs across Germany, Italy, Spain, and beyond; Kjaer announced his retirement on Monday, January 13th, 2025.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Simon Kjær has announced his retirement from professional football. ❌🇩🇰

A great defender, a proper bloke and a truly inspirational leader when tragedy struck at EURO 2020 with his Danish teammate Christian Eriksen.

We wish him the best for the future. 💫 pic.twitter.com/n7xrxxwOfV

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) January 13, 2025

In his club career, Simon Kjaer played for Midtjylland, Palermo, Wolfsburg, Roma, Lille, Fenerbahce, Sevilla, Atalanta, and AC Milan. Last summer, the defender parted ways with the Rossoneri and has been without a club since then.

Simon Kjaer: the hero of Denmark in an unnerving EURO 2020 incident 

In June 2021, during the face-off between Denmark and Finland in a crucial group game in the EURO 2020, Denmark's star midfielder Christian Eriksen suddenly collapsed on the field due to a cardiac arrest. 

Kjaer also led his teammates to escort Eriksen off the ground along with the Danish medical personnel. He also offered his consolation to Eriksen's partner, earning appreciation from football fans all over the globe. 

Eriksen was stabilized, and later out of danger. Even after this worrying incident, Kjaer led the Denmark team in an iconic journey to the EURO 2020 semi-finals.

The former Denmark captain and the Danish Medical staff in the EURO 2020 later received the UEFA President’s Award for his “exceptional leadership qualities” following the incident. He said:

I try to lead the team on and off the pitch, in every aspect of life, as footballers, when we’re together. I think it’s one of the biggest privileges I have in my career.

FIFA also awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award to Kjaer along with the medical team.

"Now is truly the right moment to close this chapter": Kjaer

Speaking to TV2 Sport in an interview, Simon Kjaer expressed his thoughts on his decision to retire at the age of 35. 

Now is truly the right moment to close this chapter. This isn’t a decision I made overnight after the summer; I had been contemplating it even before the Euro. Last autumn, I realized that my time at AC Milan was perhaps coming to an end. What would happen next? I didn’t need to announce anything to anyone, other than to myself.

A lot of factors have influenced my future since then. My children, family, the national team, and AC Milan – my dream club. Many things led to this conclusion after the Euro: I had expected something to arise, but first and foremost, I had to make a decision for my family before considering the sporting aspect. I have no regrets. I lack nothing in this regard.

I experienced the final at San Siro, and that experience... I knew perfectly well that this was the end. I didn’t need to inform anyone about it, apart from myself. Looking back, I could have easily made the retirement even more spectacular and taken another, bigger step after Milan. But I didn’t require that. For me, having such a grand farewell wasn’t essential,

A mix of experience and emerging talents characterizes Denmark’s entry into UEFA Euro 2024, making it the kind of team that is likely to pose a serious threat to any opponent that they meet. What remains is whether or not they can demonstrate in these games against Slovenia that indeed they deserve to be taken seriously as contenders whose objective as such must necessarily involve leaving their mark on any competition. Slovenia’s strategy is expected to be based on good defense, fast breaks, and making set plays count as they take on Denmark—a match where they can prove how tough they are in the face of difficult challenges.

Read: All-time Top Goalscorers of UEFA Euros

Match Details

• Match: Denmark vs Slovenia - UEFA Euro 2024

• Date: 16/6/2024 (Sunday)

• Time: 9.30 pm

• Venue: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Germany

How to watch Denmark vs Slovenia UEFA Euro 2024 match?

The Live streaming of the match between Denmark and Slovenia of UEFA Euro 2024 will be on the Sony Liv app. The Denmark vs Slovenia football match will also be telecast live on the Sony Sports TV network in India.

Denmark vs Slovenia: Head-to-Head stats

Denmark and Slovenia have faced each other 6 times. Denmark has been the dominant side, winning 5 of those 6 matches while Scotland will be looking for their first win against the Danish.

• Matches: 6
• Denmark won: 5
• Slovenia won: 0
• Draws: 1

Denmark vs Slovenia: Last five matches

Team News

Denmark:

Focus on tuesdays first @UEFAEURO qualifiers game 🇩🇰#ce10 https://t.co/BAcwpgR8Ca

— Christian Eriksen (@ChrisEriksen8) March 23, 2019

Denmark will start their UEFA Euro 2024 journey group-stage match against Slovenia. They are all desperate for a win in this fixture that will take place as both fight for a place in the knockout phase. to secure a precious win, Denmark must depend on their experienced squad that performed well during the qualification stage.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel's experience will be vital to the Danish side heading to the Euro tournament. With a solid defense and attacking prowess, Joachim Andersen will take up the right-back position. The key to Denmark’s defensive stability are the organizational skills and aerial dominance of center-back and Captain Simon Kjær.

As for Andreas Christensen, he partners with Kjær as center-back for composure and has a good ball-playing skill set at their back. Like his right-back counterpart, left-back Joakim Mæhle is also known for his attacking prowess and will be expected to provide width and support in the final third.

In the midfield, defensive midfielder Thomas Delaney is an essential figure when it comes to destroying an opposing team’s game using his quickness and anticipation skills. On the other hand, central midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg acts as the link between the defenders and those who are meant to attack by being a player who moves from one penalty area to the other. In addition to this, attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen’s splendid passing ability and accurate set plays may disorganize enemy defenders and create scoring chances.

Coming to the forwards, right wing-forward Andreas Skov Olsen's speed and capability to get into the box are going to be important as he is the one who will make an attack wide drawn from the right flank. Along the left-wing forward Jonas Wind, who is both direct with pace as well as good at dribbling and can pull off defenders that could be far apart to create opportunities for his teammates;

Striker Rasmus Højlund will be conducting the attack and maintaining line-up standards, this young striker has been extremely effective and will serve as Denmark’s major striker leading in terms of goals scored.

A switch between 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 formation usually characterizes the Danish playing system that lays much emphasis on the proper balance between strong defense strategy and dynamic offensive play. This configuration takes care of two things: first, Denmark’s midfield dynamism makes them strong enough to break their opponents’ defensive lines at any time; secondly, two full-backs provide help when necessary at both wings of attack. Kasper Hjulmand, the coach, is known for his flexible tactics where he keeps changing formations and strategies depending on who his side is playing.

Read: Euro 2024: Every squad of the UEFA Euro 2024

Slovenia:

🧤⚽️🇸🇮#SrceBije 🇸🇮 | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/h1pBJipdJz

— NZS | FA Slovenia (@nzs_si) June 13, 2024

Meeting for the 6th time Slovenia faces Denmark.

Slovenia's crucial player, Jan Oblak is a top-notch goalkeeper because he has an outstanding ability to save shots and control his team’s penalty area. Right back Zan Karničnik is recognized for his defensive stability and his capacity to assist offensive moves which will lead to fending off Denmark’s left-wing threats. In the center of Slovenia's backline, Miha Mevlja has a powerful physique and is a key figure in the air. Jaka Bijol who is used to playing as a midfielder has proven to be a versatile central defense player with good passing skills and tackles as well. Athletically vigorous and relentless, Left Back Petr Stojanović has to maintain a balance between his duties in defense with helping push the attacks of Slovenia.

In the midfield, with his experience and skill in controlling defenders, defensive midfielder Jasmin Kurtić plays an essential role in disrupting the attacks of opponents and starting the forward movements for Slovenia. Central midfielder Sandi Lovrić combines defensive astuteness with a sense of flair in making short passes and long shots, thereby making the defense and attack meet. Attacking midfielder Benjamin Verbič’s ability to see and find room will be crucial to creating chances.

Benjamin Šeško moves quickly and cuts inside a significant threat from the right wing that will cause concern among defenders while Josip Iličić has both great creativity and shot-taking abilities meaning he terrorizes opposition defenders any time he plays for his national team as an attacker; To convert all these great opportunities created during games into successful goal scoring opportunities in football strategy requires accurate finishing skills combined with good positional play, especially inside opponent’s penalty box hence making Andraž Šporar essential for this role in the Slovenian national team.

Coach Matjaz Kek's strategy often involves compact defensive organization and exploiting the speed and creativity of his wingers on the counterattack hence the country typically sets up in a 4-2-3-1 formation concentrating on a solid defense base accompanied by quick transitions; playing with Kurtić and Lovrić screening the defense Slovenia will probably seek to maintain discipline and compactness at the back when playing with Denmark.

Read: Spain vs Croatia UEFA Euro 2024 Match Preview, Head-to-head, Po

Possible XI's: 

Denmark's possible starting lineup:

Schmeichel; Andersen, Kjær, Christensen, Delaney, Kristiansen, Wind, Olsen, Eriksen, Højbjerg, Højlund.

Slovenia's possible starting lineup:

Oblak; Karnicnik, Mevlja, Bijol, Stojanović, Kurtić, Lovrić, Verbič, Šeško, Iličić, Sporar.

Fantasy Team Prediction:

Schmeichel; Højbjerg, Hjulmand, Poulsen,Sesko, Lovric, Wind, Eriksen,Højlund, Šeško, Iličić,

Manchester United's poor start to the season looked to have continued as Erik ten Hag's side struggled badly against Brentford at Old Trafford in their Premier League encounter. But that was before stoppage time. Scott McTominay netted twice in the added time to completely turn the match on its head with the hosts grabbing a dramatic last-gasp victory. United scored twice in the stoppage time to complete the impossible comeback against "The Bees"

Also Read: AIFF announce schedule for I-League and IWL 2023-24

Premier League 2023-24: Manchester United vs Brentford - Match Report

Scott McTominay scored an incredible stoppage-time brace as Manchester United came from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

Brentford took the lead in the first half when Casemiro gave the ball away and Victor Lindelof failed to clear the ball. Yoane Wissa drove into the box and Andre Onana couldn't save Mathias Jensen's shot and it ended up in the back of the net.

Brentford came agonisingly close to a first win at Old Trafford since 1937, but substitute McTominay had other ideas and levelled in the 93rd minute after reacting first to a rebound, controlling well, and drilling home.

SCOTT MCTOMINAY WINS IT IN THE 97TH MINUTE

MANCHESTER UNITED 2-1 BRENTFORDpic.twitter.com/3amI443pei

— Manchester United Die Hard Fans (@DieHardUtdFans) October 7, 2023

Then in the seventh minute of additional time, Harry Maguire flicked on a free-kick to McTominay, who drilled a header beyond the goalkeeper and sent Old Trafford wild. The win ends a run of back-to-back United defeats at home and lifts them to ninth in the table on 12 points. Brentford stay on seven points and are 14th.

"You are relieved and in that moment, once again a game that was turning the wrong way for us, we could find the turning point. It showed the character in this team, the resilience. It shows we have a plan to keep going, and you have to make your own luck," said Ten Hag.

"He (McTominay) tells you something about the dressing room. That a player is coming on for five minutes and brings that spirit on the pitch. He fights for the badge. You have to earn that badge, but definitely Scott McTominay is United," he added.

Erik ten Hag's side came into the game on a 30-match unbeaten run at home in all competitions but conceded two goals in the first four minutes. It was the earliest Manchester United ever trailed by two goals in the Premier League era. But the Red Devils did the unthinkable and made a huge comeback from there. Eriksen, Casemiro, and finally the skipper Bruno Fernandes scored for the home team to earn all three points from the Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest fixture at Old Trafford. It was not their best performance but they will happily take it after being 0-2 down in just four minutes into the game. Read the Match Report and share your thoughts in the comments.

Read Also: FC Goa vs. Chennaiyin FC, Durand Cup 2023: Gaurs make a comeback to win by 4-1 to qualify for the semis

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest: Teams –

• Manchester United: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane (Lindelof 46), Martinez, Dalot; Casemiro, Fernandes (c), Eriksen; Antony (McTominay 84), Martial (Sancho 60), Rashford.
• Not used: Henderson, Fernandez, Maguire, Gore, Garnacho, Pellistri.
• Scorers: Eriksen 17, Casemiro 52, Fernandes 76 (pen).
• Booked: Wan-Bissaka, Rashford, Onana, Fernandes.

• Nottingham Forest: Turner; Aurier, Boly, Worrall, McKenna (Niakhate 56), Aina; Yates, Danilo (Elanga 81); Johnson (Kouyate 70), Gibbs-White; Awoniyi (Wood 81).
• Not used: Horvath, Freuler, Montiel, Williams, Hwang.
• Scorers: Awoniyi 2, Boly 4.
• Booked: Aurier, Gibbs-White, Aina, Kouyate.
• Sent off: Worrall

Premier League 2023-23: Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest Match Report

First Half:

Antony tested Matt Turner in the first minute but Old Trafford was stunned moments later when a United corner was cleared and Awoniyi was left with a race against Rashford to go clean through on goal. The in-form striker scored for the seventh successive Premier League game. Awoniyi kept his composure and confused Andre Onana completely as Nottingham Forest got the lead in the 2nd minute of the game.

It went from bad to worse for the Red Devils. Brennan Johnson's free-kick hit Boly and bounced past Onana into the net. Silence in the crowd as Forest went 0-2 up just four minutes into the game. United didn't let their heads down and tried their best to produce a memorable comeback in front of their fans.

The earliest Man Utd have ever gone 2-0 down in a Premier League match 🤯@NFFC started quickly at Old Trafford! pic.twitter.com/Ri4N3tS0iX

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 26, 2023

Rashford got into the box and squeezed in a driven cross that was expertly flicked into the far corner of the net by Eriksen. He put one back on his return to the starting XI. Casemiro should have scored with a header when a Fernandes corner skidded through to him. The ball travelled at pace but it left those in the Stretford End wondering why United were not back on level terms.

Second Half:

Diogo Dalot made a neat interception deep inside his own box as the visitors tried to invade the home defence after the resumption. United took over in terms of controlling possession and creating chances. Fernandes fired a long-ranger off target and then produced a moment of magic in the 52nd minute. The skipper's free-kick reached Rashford, who intelligently returned it to the skipper again. Bruno nodded it across to an unmarked Casemiro, who scored home with his second touch to make it 2-2.

Danilo instantly responded with a shot that Onana saved but the play went straight back down the other end as Antony's vintage curler was brilliantly grabbed by Turner. That superb save kept things all square for some moment. But Lisandro Martinez's dangerous ball across the six-yard box evaded everybody. In the 67th minute, Worrall was shown a red card for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity. He pulled Fernandes down as a Casemiro through ball held up to drop into the Portugal international's path. VAR approved the decision by referee Stuart Attwell. Bruno wasted the free kick but soon corrected it by scoring the winner.

Relief for the Reds! 🔴#MUFC || #MUNNFO

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 26, 2023

Rashford got fouled in the box when he tried to work his way past Danilo. Bruno scored from the spot and United completed their comeback in style. The work was still incomplete though. Ex-United winger Anthony Elanga came on and caused problems. The 11 minutes of stoppage time was surely not wanted by the Red Devils. A nerve-jangling finale, as Forest went all out despite being 1 man down. They tried but the defensive unit of United remained calm and collective. They didn't allow any kind of nonsense and in the end, it was none other than the Red Devils who snatched the three points from the visitors.

Post Match:

"Horror start, but the character of the team was brilliant. We stayed so calm and so composed. We stuck to our belief, stuck to our plan, played some good football, and scored three good goals. It was a great comeback. With all respect to Forest, we can't allow them . They were easy giveaways. It's crazy, but sometimes games go like this. As I said, we stayed calm. We have the personality. In certain moments we can definitely improve, but in general, this team has the character to bounce back all the time."

- Erik ten Hag

"It wasn't the perfect start for us but we kept control, kept the ball, and started doing the right things. They defended well with a lot of players and it was difficult to get through, but we got the result and that's the most important thing. I knew we had time to change the situation, but we kept calm. We started to keep the ball at the back and gain confidence, and after that the game was always on our side. We created a lot of shots in the first half. Overall, the performance was really good apart from those four minutes. We know what it means to be a Manchester United player. We know this shirt demands a lot and we are ready for that. The team showed great spirit, passion and desire. We just need to be aware that we can't concede so early."

- Bruno Fernandes