Denmark’s Christian Eriksen has revealed what it’s like for World Cup players to compete inside air-conditioned stadiums..
Due to the intense heat in Qatar nearly all year round, all but one of the stadiums being used for the tournament in Qatar have massive air conditioning systems. Denmark has now played one game in the competition, a 0-0 draw against Tunisia in which Eriksen’s side had enough chances to secure all three points..
The Manchester United midfielder has opened up about what the air conditioning feels like for the players on the pitch, revealing that it has its drawbacks despite keeping the stars cool in the face of sometimes unbearable heat.
Eriksen explained ahead of Denmark’s second match against one of the tournament favorites, France: “Because of the heat, we have postponed training. We just train later, so the heat hasn’t been an issue. Because of the air conditioning in the stadium, we didn’t feel particularly hot during the game.”
The former Tottenham and Inter Milan player went on to claim that the air conditioning systems made breathing difficult..
“To say we’re playing in an air-conditioned football stadium sounds strange in and of itself. [The air] felt damper, and there was something about the oxygen.
It was a little more difficult to catch your breath after a sprint than usual, but that’s also because we’re playing here.”
The air conditioning is pumped out from behind the seats inside the stadium, and the cooler air, due to its density, tends to stay at pitch level.
Eriksen’s participation in this World Cup represents a remarkable recovery from the European Championships in the summer of 2021..
The 30-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during Denmark’s first group stage match against Finland, causing huge fears for Erisksen’s life as medics worked heroically to bring him back to consciousness while his teammates formed a huddle around the scene to prevent television cameras from witnessing what was happening.
Eriksen was lining up for his national team on the biggest stage of all just shy of 18 months later.
He appeared to be overcome with emotion as he sang the Danish national anthem before kick-off against Tunisia earlier this week..
Leave a Reply