CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN LEAVES WOLFSBURG AFTER SECOND CARDIAC COLLAPSE

Christian Eriksen has left Wolfsburg by mutual consent, three months after collapsing on the pitch while playing for Denmark, the German club confirmed. His contract had been due to run until June 2027, but both club and player agreed to end it early. Eriksen suffered a heart episode during a friendly against Ukraine in June, when his implantable defibrillator detected a dangerous arrhythmia and delivered a corrective shock. He briefly lost consciousness but was able to walk off the pitch before being taken to hospital. Eriksen said it was "important for me to be close to my family in Denmark", adding he was "pleased" the pair had found "a solution together".

The collapse came five years after Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark's Euro 2020 match against Finland in June 2021, when his heart stopped for around five minutes. Team-mate and then-captain Simon Kjaer gave him immediate CPR before medical staff used a defibrillator on the pitch at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Eriksen made 34 appearances for Wolfsburg last season, captaining the side, scoring three goals and providing ten assists. The club nonetheless suffered its first relegation from the Bundesliga in 29 years, going down via the play-offs. It remains unclear whether Eriksen intends to continue playing professional football.

Eriksen said his time at Wolfsburg was "marked by many highs and lows" and that he believed "a successful future lies ahead" for the club as it aims to return to the Bundesliga. He has not said which club he plans to join next. His exit follows a season in which he served as captain before the collapse in June. The episode was the second serious cardiac event Eriksen has suffered during international duty with Denmark in five years, leaving his future in the sport uncertain.