ENGLISH OFFICIAL ANTHONY Taylor has been praised for his “perfect” handling of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest during the Denmark v Finland match by Uefa’s referees chief.
The Danish playmaker collapsed just before half-time in the match on 12 June. Taylor immediately recognised the seriousness of the situation and signalled for medics to come on within seconds.
His quick thinking, along with that of Denmark captain Simon Kjaer, has been widely praised, and Uefa chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti said on Friday: “Everyone recognised that Anthony was perfect. He managed this difficult moment in a great way.
“We are proud about his behaviour, we are proud about his cold blood.
“We recommended to the referees that safety is first, it is the most important target for us. The referees must, and they are ready, to stop the match immediately in these situations. Anthony was amazing.”
The Danish football association confirmed last Friday that Eriksen, formerly of Tottenham and now with Inter Milan, had been discharged from hospital in Copenhagen.
He has been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
Eriksen visited the rest of the Denmark squad after his release from hospital and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel told CNN on Friday: “It was great to see him. That helped a lot of the guys I think just to see him and erase the last image we had of him on the pitch.
“To see him in real life and to see that he was okay…it was really important.”
Taylor’s performances in the group phase of the tournament have led to him being awarded the Italy v Austria last-16 match at Wembley on Saturday night.
Asked why he had been appointed for the match, Rosetti said: “He’s a top referee. He’s an excellent referee and he is having a great tournament.
“This is an important match, like the other seven (last-16 ties). There is no other explanation.”
2 McIlroys. A and B and flips and flops to suit himself and the circumstances. Would prefer if he just said the big money and attention is still in the US rather than skirt around the obvious!
@David Gaffney: But that is what he is saying. He lives in the state’s cause that’s where the money is and he’s never made a secret of that. He’s saying as good as the changes to the European tour are, they aren’t enough to entice the top players to change what they are doing. It’s overtly implied it what he said. Just cause he doesn’t blatantly state it doesn’t mean he’s skirting the question
@Phil Redmond:
Married to an American, his family is in America… The bggest payouts are in America… Totally understandable…
Shane is in the same boat… To play in the top competitions you have to play in the highest ranking tournaments…
@Cowboy Paddy: Exactly and the European tour events need to get much closer to the PGA in terms of prize money and ranking points if they want to start attracting the top players away from it. I doubt that will ever happen though. The PGA want to protect their place as the no 1 tour like anyone in their position would so any sign that the European tour are going to make any significant inroads into that they’ll up the prize money and keep the top players coming back to them
@Phil Redmond: it absolutely does mean he is skirting around it! Why not just say it. Why talk like a politician that is evasive and won’t commit!?
@David Gaffney: Non committal choker and mercenary. #136daystillmoreRorycomedygold