Inter Milan director Giuseppe Marotta has dismissed suggestions that Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen had previously tested positive for Covid-19 but said neither was he vaccinated before the start of Euro 2020.
Eriksen, 29, was hospitalised after collapsing in Denmark's match against Finland in Copenhagen on Saturday.
The sight of the playmaker falling to the ground in the 42nd minute of the match near the touchline after a Denmark throw-in shocked onlookers and left players on both sides visibly distressed.
He was given life-saving cardiac massage treatment on the pitch, with officials later saying the player was stable and awake.
The Danish Football Association released a statement on Sunday saying: "This morning we have spoken to Christian Eriksen, who has sent his greetings to his teammates. His condition is stable, and he continues to be hospitalised for further examination," the football body said in a post to Twitter.
DBU also said that the team and staff had "received crisis assistance and will continue to be there for each other after yesterday's incident."
Sanjay Sharma of St George's University of London, the playmaker's cardiologist at former club Tottenham Hotspur, said Eriksen had no prior heart issues during his time with the Premier League side between 2013-2020.
However, in quotes reported by the Mail on Sunday, Sharma said that some players may have had sub-clinical Covid-19 infections, which could have resulted in "scarring" of the heart.
Marotta dismissed that suggestion and said Inter medical officials were in constant contact with their Danish counterparts about Eriksen's condition.
He didn't have Covid and wasn't vaccinated either
"He didn't have Covid and wasn't vaccinated either," Marotta told Rai Sport.
"I can say the Inter medical staff have been in contact with them from the start."
Marotta's comments are sure to add to the debate around whether all squads taking part in the European Championship should have been vaccinated ahead of the month-long tournament that is being held across the continent under Covid protocols.
For instance, the Spain team only received their first doses of vaccines on Friday, the day the tournament kicked off, and after captain Sergio Busquets had tested positive.
Portugal defender Joao Cancelo on Sunday was ruled out of the tournament after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Sharma said Eriksen had returned normal tests at Spurs since 2013, but the sight of the player falling to the ground had briefly raised concerns that doctors had missed something.
"I thought, 'Oh my God? Is there something there that we didn't see?' But I have looked at all the test results and everything looked perfect," Sharma said.
"From the day we signed him, it was my job to screen him and we tested him every year. So certainly his tests up to 2019 were completely normal, with no obvious underlying cardiac fault. I can vouch for that because I did the tests."
Former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba said that Eriksen's collapse brought back painful memories of his cardiac arrest on the pitch in an FA Cup match in 2012. The ex-England Under 21 midfielder had to retire soon after at the age of 24.
"It brought back stuff that I have put down in me, this emotion that's down there. To watch it from that distance and not know what was going to happen," Muamba told the BBC.
"It was scary, but credit to the medical staff. They have done an amazing job on Christian. I like how his teammates got together to protect him.
"I hope things turn out to be OK for him. I hope he'll come through."
Eriksen laid on the field for about 15 minutes before being carried off the pitch and rushed to hospital.
The game was temporarily suspended awaiting confirmation that Eriksen was alright but after reports that the player was in a stable condition and awake, the game was resumed later in the evening, ending in a 1-0 win for underdogs Finland.
A Sunday press conference with the DBU was cancelled in the morning and the team's scheduled training session has also been postponed indefinitely, broadcaster TV2 reported.
The five pillars of Islam
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Specs
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'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
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UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
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Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
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All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
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Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
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THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
