Football united to send support to Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, who was in a stable condition on Saturday night after collapsing and needing CPR during the Euro 2020 match with Finland.
The 16,000 fans inside the Parken Stadium fell silent before half time when the star fell to the ground when running to collect a throw-in.
The English referee Anthony Taylor immediately called medics on to the pitch and Eriksen underwent lengthy treatment with CPR performed on his chest before he was taken to hospital.
It was later confirmed the Inter Milan player was stable. Eriksen is also understood to have spoken to his teammates from his hospital bed to reassure them of his condition, which allowed his teammates to resume their match in Copenhagen after a delay of two hours, with Finland claiming a 1-0 win.
"Christian Eriksen is awake and his condition remains stable. He remains hospitalised at Rigshospitalet for further examinations," a statement from the Danish Football Association read.
Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand attempted to hold back tears during his post-match press conference and explained they had the choice of finishing the Group B match against Finland on the night or return on Sunday.
"It was more unmanageable to have to restart tomorrow," he said. "It was more unmanageable than going back out now and getting it all put behind us. I could not be more proud of this team, who take good care of each other.
"There are players in there who are completely finished emotionally. Players who on another day could not play this match. They are supporting each other. It was a traumatic experience."
After Eriksen collapsed, his teammates formed a ring around the former Tottenham Hotspur star while he received treatment. Fans from both sets of countries chanted the name of the midfielder.
He was taken off the Parken Stadium pitch on a stretcher and was seen to be awake.
Hjulmand added: "All thoughts are with Christian and his family. Christian is one of the best footballers, but he is an even better person."
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: "Moments like this put everything in life into perspective. I wish Christian a full and speedy recovery and pray his family has strength and faith.
"At these times, the unity of the football family is so strong and he and his family carry with them the good wishes and prayers of everyone.
"I heard of fans of both teams chanting his name. Football is beautiful and Christian plays it beautifully."
Leading sports cardiologist Professor Sanjay Sharma has questioned whether the Serie A winner will play again.
"The fact he's stable and awake, his outlook is going to be very good," he said.
"I don't know whether he'll ever play football again. Without putting it too bluntly, he died today, albeit for a few minutes, but he did die and would the medical professional allow him to die again? The answer is no."
BBC football presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker later said: "In 25 years of doing this job, that was the most difficult, distressing and emotional broadcast I've ever been involved with."
England, who get their Euro 2020 campaign under way on Sunday against Croatia, were due to hold a news conference on Saturday evening with captain Harry Kane and manager Gareth Southgate.
But the Football Association confirmed the briefing had been cancelled with Kane, who spent eight seasons with Eriksen at Tottenham, writing on Twitter: "Chris. I'm sending all my love to you and your family. Stay strong mate."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sent a message of support for Eriksen. They posted on the social media platform: "Encouraging news about Christian Eriksen, we are all thinking about him and his family.
"Well done to the medical team and Anthony Taylor for their calm and swift action. W."
Numerous messages were sent to the midfielder while club colleague Romelu Lukaku dedicated his first goal in Belgium's 3-0 win over Russia to Eriksen by saying into the pitchside cameras: "Chris, I love you."
He later told beIN Sports: "It was difficult to play because my mind was with my teammate. I hope he is healthy and I dedicate this performance to him.
"I cried a lot because I was scared, obviously. You live strong moments together. I spent more time with him than with my family. My thoughts are with him, his girlfriend, his two kids and his family."
Finland captain Tim Sparv also sent his well-wishes on Twitter, he said: "What an emotional roller-coaster this day has been. Our thoughts are with Christian Eriksen and his loved ones during these difficult times.
"Football is so insignificant when something like this happens. Life is precious. Take care of each other."
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
