Two days ahead of Germany’s opening group stage match against France at UEFA EURO 2020, Antonio Rüdiger and Lukas Klostermann spoke about preparations for the match in Munich. Team doctor Prof. Dr. Tim Meyer also answered questions about Christian Eriksen's collapse on the pitch.
Antonio Rüdiger on…
...Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch: It was shocking to see what happened in Copenhagen. Thank God he’s stabilised. I’m wishing him all the best for a speedy recovery and am sending strength to his family.
…the decision to continue the Denmark game: You have to know what the players were feeling. I don’t know if I would have been able to continue playing. But, that’s what the team wanted and Christian Eriksen told them the same. I think I wouldn’t have been able to continue, but everyone reacts differently. As to whether it was the right decision or not, I can’t say.
...upcoming opponents France: France look stronger on paper, but that's just on paper. They can be favourites for all I care, they obviously have great forwards. We need to dig deep and show what we're made of. We're ready.
...the many Bayern and Chelsea players in the squad: I think every player is important. There are several Bayern players that have been part of the team for many years and they have a lot of experience. We ended the season on a high with Chelsea, which can give us a bit of a boost for the EUROs. We’ll see what happens in the end.
...being called a ‘warrior:’ To be honest, I’ve always played like that. Things have been going well for me recently, we won the Champions League and now everyone is calling me that. But, I haven’t changed anything about how I play.
...his development and facing animosity: Firstly, it was important for me as a player to leave the Bundesliga. Even just to learn a new language, for example. I’ve dealt with animosity my whole life, so that hasn't really change me.
...Jérôme Boateng as a role model: Jérôme is like my older brother. He was always there for me and still is today. Even when I wasn’t playing much for Chelsea, he would always speak with me. He is and will always be a world-class defender in my eyes. As for the question of whether that applies to me as well, I may have won the Champions League but I think it’s up to others to determine if I’m a world-class player. I know that I need to work on myself, which is what I’m doing.
...his family as motivation: The most important thing for me will always be my family. Everything that I’ve achieved up until now has been for my family. I wanted to escape poverty through football, and give them a better life. My family are always my motivation.
Lukas Klostermann on…
...Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch: We were all in shock. You first have to process what you’ve just witnessed. It was a great relief to hear that he was doing okay. That made it easier to continue training today.
...comparisons to the 2016 Olympics: From a sporting perspective, this is a step up. The EUROs are my first major tournament, even though the Olympics were something very special. I’m looking forward to getting started soon.
...upcoming opponents France: We’ve prepared well for France over the last days and weeks. It will be a huge challenge. But, we’re here to conquer challenges like that. I can feel the desire and conviction in the team and am heading into the game with a good feeling.
...competing with Joshua Kimmich for a spot in the team: Joshua is a world-class player in my opinion. Of course everyone in the squad wants to play. Everyone came here with the belief that they can help the team. But, the team comes first. The coach has to decide what’s best for the team. Of course I’d love to play.
...three players being left out of each matchday squad: As a player, it is something you think of. But, you also don’t want to think too much about it. The rule is a bit unfortunate, with three players having to sit out. It’s not an easy decision for anyone, least of all the coach. But, those are the rules and we need to respect them.
Prof. Dr. Tim Meyer on…
...Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch: You can’t imagine how happy we all were to hear the news that he was conscious and stable. It was clearly a cardiac issue. The heart developed an acute arrhythmia and there was a lack of oxygen to the brain. Fortunately, the necessary procedures were followed quickly and they were evidently successful. There’s no indication that a previous COVID infection or vaccine contributed to the case.
...preventing similar cases: Like other nations, we follow two approaches. One is to thoroughly and regularly examine players for any undetected illnesses. The DFB has a very specific system for that. You try to detect and treat any cardiac issues early on, or use medication to treat the players. Then, if something does happen then you’re immediately ready to initiate various measures on the pitch. That worked well yesterday. I don’t see any consequences that can be drawn from that. We will never be able to completely prevent things like this from happening. But, it’s important to work to prevent as many as possible. We’re very well equipped in Germany with our diagnostic system. The standards at the European level are far below that. We have always seen this as a minimum requirement.
...the procedure during such a situation: I always keep an emergency case with me that includes a defibrillator and there’s always a second one at the pitch. Generally, the team doctor is the first to head onto the pitch. Usually, you’ve agreed on a signal with the emergency doctor, who is more qualified in situations such as this. The delay between someone needing to assess the situation first before calling for the emergency physician is quite short. So far, this chain of command has always worked well.
...discussions with players and support staff: There were quite a few discussions with players, who needed information. All the players and staff were quite shocked. Until this morning, we spoke a lot about the medical aspect. But, it’s not the case that the team is still in shock. The news that he is apparently doing well helped calm us all.
...advice for amateur footballers: I’d advise every man over the age of 40 and every woman over the age of 45 to undergo regular check-ups, especially if they play sports. They should make an appointment with their family doctor or a cardiologist in order to clarify the issue. If they unexpectedly lose consciousness or have any heart-related issues, then they should definitely do so.
[dfb/asv]
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Two days ahead of Germany’s opening group stage match against France at UEFA EURO 2020, Antonio Rüdiger and Lukas Klostermann spoke about preparations for the match in Munich. Team doctor Prof. Dr. Tim Meyer also answered questions about Christian Eriksen's collapse on the pitch.
Antonio Rüdiger on…
...Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch: It was shocking to see what happened in Copenhagen. Thank God he’s stabilised. I’m wishing him all the best for a speedy recovery and am sending strength to his family.
…the decision to continue the Denmark game: You have to know what the players were feeling. I don’t know if I would have been able to continue playing. But, that’s what the team wanted and Christian Eriksen told them the same. I think I wouldn’t have been able to continue, but everyone reacts differently. As to whether it was the right decision or not, I can’t say.
...upcoming opponents France: France look stronger on paper, but that's just on paper. They can be favourites for all I care, they obviously have great forwards. We need to dig deep and show what we're made of. We're ready.
...the many Bayern and Chelsea players in the squad: I think every player is important. There are several Bayern players that have been part of the team for many years and they have a lot of experience. We ended the season on a high with Chelsea, which can give us a bit of a boost for the EUROs. We’ll see what happens in the end.
...being called a ‘warrior:’ To be honest, I’ve always played like that. Things have been going well for me recently, we won the Champions League and now everyone is calling me that. But, I haven’t changed anything about how I play.
...his development and facing animosity: Firstly, it was important for me as a player to leave the Bundesliga. Even just to learn a new language, for example. I’ve dealt with animosity my whole life, so that hasn't really change me.
...Jérôme Boateng as a role model: Jérôme is like my older brother. He was always there for me and still is today. Even when I wasn’t playing much for Chelsea, he would always speak with me. He is and will always be a world-class defender in my eyes. As for the question of whether that applies to me as well, I may have won the Champions League but I think it’s up to others to determine if I’m a world-class player. I know that I need to work on myself, which is what I’m doing.
...his family as motivation: The most important thing for me will always be my family. Everything that I’ve achieved up until now has been for my family. I wanted to escape poverty through football, and give them a better life. My family are always my motivation.
Lukas Klostermann on…
...Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch: We were all in shock. You first have to process what you’ve just witnessed. It was a great relief to hear that he was doing okay. That made it easier to continue training today.
...comparisons to the 2016 Olympics: From a sporting perspective, this is a step up. The EUROs are my first major tournament, even though the Olympics were something very special. I’m looking forward to getting started soon.
...upcoming opponents France: We’ve prepared well for France over the last days and weeks. It will be a huge challenge. But, we’re here to conquer challenges like that. I can feel the desire and conviction in the team and am heading into the game with a good feeling.
...competing with Joshua Kimmich for a spot in the team: Joshua is a world-class player in my opinion. Of course everyone in the squad wants to play. Everyone came here with the belief that they can help the team. But, the team comes first. The coach has to decide what’s best for the team. Of course I’d love to play.
...three players being left out of each matchday squad: As a player, it is something you think of. But, you also don’t want to think too much about it. The rule is a bit unfortunate, with three players having to sit out. It’s not an easy decision for anyone, least of all the coach. But, those are the rules and we need to respect them.
Prof. Dr. Tim Meyer on…
...Christian Eriksen collapsing on the pitch: You can’t imagine how happy we all were to hear the news that he was conscious and stable. It was clearly a cardiac issue. The heart developed an acute arrhythmia and there was a lack of oxygen to the brain. Fortunately, the necessary procedures were followed quickly and they were evidently successful. There’s no indication that a previous COVID infection or vaccine contributed to the case.
...preventing similar cases: Like other nations, we follow two approaches. One is to thoroughly and regularly examine players for any undetected illnesses. The DFB has a very specific system for that. You try to detect and treat any cardiac issues early on, or use medication to treat the players. Then, if something does happen then you’re immediately ready to initiate various measures on the pitch. That worked well yesterday. I don’t see any consequences that can be drawn from that. We will never be able to completely prevent things like this from happening. But, it’s important to work to prevent as many as possible. We’re very well equipped in Germany with our diagnostic system. The standards at the European level are far below that. We have always seen this as a minimum requirement.
...the procedure during such a situation: I always keep an emergency case with me that includes a defibrillator and there’s always a second one at the pitch. Generally, the team doctor is the first to head onto the pitch. Usually, you’ve agreed on a signal with the emergency doctor, who is more qualified in situations such as this. The delay between someone needing to assess the situation first before calling for the emergency physician is quite short. So far, this chain of command has always worked well.
...discussions with players and support staff: There were quite a few discussions with players, who needed information. All the players and staff were quite shocked. Until this morning, we spoke a lot about the medical aspect. But, it’s not the case that the team is still in shock. The news that he is apparently doing well helped calm us all.
...advice for amateur footballers: I’d advise every man over the age of 40 and every woman over the age of 45 to undergo regular check-ups, especially if they play sports. They should make an appointment with their family doctor or a cardiologist in order to clarify the issue. If they unexpectedly lose consciousness or have any heart-related issues, then they should definitely do so.
