The head of the FIGC (the Italian FA’s technical-scientific committee) has given a clear indication on the situation of Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen and his eligibility to return to the pitch for the Nerazzurri.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Radio KissKiss Napoli, FIGC Director Franco Braconaro has clarified that the 29-year-cold can return only if he is deemed to be fit and healthy, and if the ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrulator) he is currently fitted with is removed.
Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during Denmark’s EURO 2020 opener against Finland from what was determined to be a cardiac arrest, and after medical tests he was fitted with the ICD which is meant o ensure he does not suffer from another arrest.
The player’s future in football is still unclear, with questions remaining as to whether he can ever recover to a state where his safety is assured on a football pitch.
It is expected that the midfielder will miss most, and likely all, of next season at least as he recovers and more is determined about his condition.
Barconaro has outlined the necessary conditions for his return to the pitch in Italian football, with the FIGC’s regulations governing when he would or would not be allowed to play for the Nerazzurri in Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and so on.
“Right now Eriksen could not be eligible to play. If the player’s ICT is removed because the pathology has been resolved, he can return to Inter.”
As it stands, the only thing that the Nerazzurri can do is wait and hope that along with fully recovering on a personal level, the 29-year-old is also able to become eligible to appear in an Inter shirt once again.
For now, Eriksen remains in Denmark where he is continuing with his recovery, and the Nerazzurri will be patient and give him the time that he needs, having no intention of making him return to Milan before he is ready.
Once the Dane does return, he will undergo further tests which whose outcome will shed more light on his sporting future.
