Denmark’s Eriksen Looking Forward to ‘Special’ Parken Stadium Return

Football - Denmark Training - Copenhagen, Denmark - March 28, 2022 Denmark's Christian Eriksen during training. (Reuters)
Football - Denmark Training - Copenhagen, Denmark - March 28, 2022 Denmark's Christian Eriksen during training. (Reuters)
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Denmark’s Eriksen Looking Forward to ‘Special’ Parken Stadium Return

Football - Denmark Training - Copenhagen, Denmark - March 28, 2022 Denmark's Christian Eriksen during training. (Reuters)
Football - Denmark Training - Copenhagen, Denmark - March 28, 2022 Denmark's Christian Eriksen during training. (Reuters)

Denmark's Christian Eriksen said he is looking forward to a "special" return to Copenhagen's Parken Stadium on Tuesday and wants to give fans a new memory from the venue where he had a near-fatal heart attack at last year's Euros.

The 30-year-old playmaker, who collapsed on the pitch and received life-saving treatment during Denmark's meeting with Finland in June 2021, is set to play in the Danes' friendly against Serbia.

"I think it's something you can't prepare for," Eriksen told reporters on Monday when asked about the reception he expects.

Eriksen returned to the Denmark team on Saturday and scored with his first touch after coming off the bench at the Johan Cruyff Arena before the Netherlands went on to win 4-2.

"The reception in Holland was very big and my expectation is it is going to be even bigger here. This is the place where it happened and people will see it," Eriksen said.

"Afterwards people will be talking about it, like everything is back to normal. They are going to have a new memory. It's going to be special and I'm looking forward to it."

Eriksen, who was fitted with a device to regulate his heart and resumed his club career with Premier League side Brentford last month, said following the Netherlands game that he was pleased to show he could still play.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.