Inter striker Romelu Lukaku is hoping to visit Nerazzurri teammate Christian Eriksen at the first possible opportunity, and will pay tribute to him tomorrow during Belgium’s EURO 2020 match against Denmark.
During the official pre-match press conference for the match, as reported by FCInterNews, the 28-year-old Belgian spoke about his desire to meet with Eriksen and lend his support after the Danish captain suffered a cardiac arrhythmia during Denmark’s opener against Finland.
He feels grateful for the contributions of everyone who helped ensure that Eriksen survived the health scare, and is looking forward to showing his support on the pitch during tomorrow’s matchup.
The Inter teammates looked set to compete against one another in the Group B matchup prior to the events of Denmark’s opener.
About wanting to meet up with Eriksen and support the Dane, Lukaku had this to say:
“I want to meet Christian in the hospital, I talked to the coach and obviously he agrees. At the tenth minute of play we will stop the match and pay tribute to him with applause.”
“After the game, I’ll pay tribute to Eriksen. Right now, he needs to be with his family.”
Lukaku praised the efforts of AC Milan and Denmark center-back Simon Kjaer, whose quick efforts to help provide first aid were important in saving Eriksen’s life:
“It was very important what he did to save [Eriksen’s] life. With a first aid course, all players would know what to do in these situations.”
Lukaku talked about the importance of mental health support for players, specifically related to the experiences of the Danish players:
“The Danes had a right to a mental coach in this situation. It’s part of the game, we need it.”
He continued: “This match will be a real challenge, above all a mental one. The Danes are a formidable opponent as we have seen in the Nations League.”
Regarding his growth in Italy the Belgian stated:
“In Italy I have improved my game, I have better vision and I tried to be more consistent from start to finish.”
He also explained a shift in his attitude and his sense of personal maturity:
“I have become more relaxed since I became a father. After three years in Manchester and two at Inter, I have calmed down. I manage criticism better, I let everything slip off me.”
The Belgian also talked about the leadership roles within the national team, stating that there is no one leader figure but that the weight is shared among many senior players.
“Vincent Kompany was our leader, for this generation. Today he has been replaced by several elements. I am always available to everyone, but there is not just one leader, it is shared by all.”
