10 harrowing cases of football players who died or nearly died on the pitch [videos]

• Bove: Why are so many modern footballers slumping on the pitch?

Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark's opening game in the UEFA Euro 2020 against Finland. Millions all over were shocked by this tragedy, which also underlined the pressing need of quick medical assistance to save lives. This event strongly evokes memories of Bove's collapse.

Due to Eriksen's sudden collapse, medical staff had to administer defibrillation on the pitch and perform life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), before ferrying the player to a nearby hospital.

Eriksen's amazing recovery—which included a Premier League stint with Brentford and a well-publicised transfer to Manchester United less than a year later—attests to the effectiveness of contemporary medical techniques and the power of the human will.

Procedures have been improved to guarantee that, in trying circumstances, athletes like Bove get the best possible care. Without a doubt, the responses of football regulatory authorities, including FIFA and UEFA, in reaction to the Eriksen tragedy has saved lives and will still be so going forward. These include the provision of modern medical equipment to venues and the guarantee of the presence of highly qualified medical staff at all professional events.

Although Eriksen's account of overcoming death is inspirational, the tragic tale of Marc-Vivien Foé reminds us of the horrible consequences of medical emergencies during football matches.

The Cameroonian player was declared dead shortly after slumping during the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia, despite the efforts of medical staff members who had valiantly tried to revive him.

His autopsy turned up a congenital disorder called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which increases the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Millions of football fans watched Foé's tragic death on live TV, which not only clouded the rest of the competition but also forced a worldwide review of health screening procedures for professional sportsmen.

More thorough testing has since been undertaken in search of hidden heart diseases. Though these measures have surely lessened the frequency of catastrophic slumps on the pitch, the fateful story of Foé reminds us that no system, regardless of its complexity, can totally eradicate the hazards related to high-performance sports.

Fabrice Muamba's narrative offers still another encouraging illustration of the successes and setbacks of medical intervention in football. During a 2012 FA Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur, Bolton Wanderers midfielder Muamba suddenly slumped from a cardiac arrest, traumatising the whole crowd.

Muamba's heart stopped beating for an incredible 78 minutes before quick, valiant efforts of the medical team restarted the Englishman's pulse using a defibrillator. Afterwards, he was taken to a hospital where he recovered rather remarkably.

Following the Muamba event, several improvements were implemented in football, including the requirement of CPR and defibrillation mandatory training for coaches and support personnel as well as a funding boost for a study on athlete heart health.

This was in response to the event, which highlighted the life-saving power of having advanced medical tools and educated staff.

The disaster ended Muamba's professional career; however, his efforts to raise awareness and institute cardiac events most certainly saved lives and had a long-lasting effect on the sport.

A tragic event occurred in 2007 when Antonio Puerta, a brilliant left-back for Sevilla and a vital part of the team's climb to European prominence, passed out during a La Liga game against Getafe.

At first, it seemed to be under control after the player regained consciousness and made it to the dressing room assisted by a teammate. Unfortunately, his misery quickly turned into tragedy when he was hospitalised and died three days after the game from multiple cardiac arrests.

The news of Puerta's passing from the rare genetic condition arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) rocked Spanish football, as fans, athletes, and clubs all throughout the country honoured and grieved the star.

Puerta's sad demise has underlined the critical need of raising awareness about inherited heart diseases and the need of regular and thorough tests for sportsmen, especially those engaged in the physically demanding professional football.

His impact transcends his supporters who remember his playing days and now includes the lives saved thanks to medical progress and the charitable projects started in his honour.

When 24-year-old Hungarian attacker Miklós Fehér, who was playing for Portuguese giants Benfica, collapsed during a Primeira Liga game against Vitória de Guimarães, he baffled players and onlookers, as just before the disaster Fehér appeared to straighten his posture and smile before slumping.

Fehér was declared dead shortly after, despite the medical staff having responded quickly and worked nonstop to revive him on the pitch; cardiac arrhythmia was finally found to be the cause of death.

Benfica retired the number 29 shirt in respect of this sad tragedy that shook Portuguese football, as Fehér's untimely death was watched by a live television audience. The disaster brought a torrent of memorials.

His passing spurred fresh initiatives such as cutting-edge medical screening and emergency procedures in football.

During a game against Pescara in April 2012, 25-year-old Livorno Serie B midfielder Piermario Morosini fainted while defending an attacking phase. Despite Morosini repeatedly battling to maintain his balance, his body obviously failed him, and he collapsed to the ground stunning spectators and players. Italian football mourned his untimely death.

He left a hole in the hearts of those who had followed his career and in Italian football when, on route to the hospital, he died from a cardiac arrest despite the best efforts of medical staff.

Following Morosini's death, the emergency response capacity of Italian stadiums underwent thorough investigation. Specifically, there were allegations that a parked police car blocked the ambulance's path to the stadium, thereby delaying possibly life-saving operations.

The sudden death of the footballer sparked debates on the need for defibrillators and trained medical staff in football at all levels.

This incident changed Italian football such that it now enhances the emergency response mechanism at Italian venues.

During a substitution in a Scottish league game against Dundee United, 35-year-old Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell collapsed in December 2007. Considered one of the most harrowing events in Scottish football, O'Donnell, who was lovingly called "Uncle Phil" for his leadership and charm, sadly passed from left ventricular failure not too long later. This medical disorder causes the heart to fail in producing sufficient blood to satisfy the body's demand.

For many in Scottish football, O'Donnell's death caused shock and grief, as he was revered by rivals, teammates, and supporters as well.

His story was often cited in the years that followed when debating the need of undertaking thorough screening of older players, especially those who are almost at the end of their careers, and the need of making sure that all levels of the sport—from amateur to professional—are medically ready.

During a reserve game against Genk in April 2015, Gregory Mertens, a 24-year-old Lokeren defender, collapsed on the pich in a shock moment of bereavement in Belgian football. Mertens was placed in an induced coma and tragically died three days later from cardiac arrest caused by an unknown heart illness, despite the quick reaction of medical staff who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation.

The death of Mertens begged issues regarding the effectiveness of health screenings for young athletes and questioned the accuracy of diagnostic techniques meant to detect congenital heart anomalies. Apart from that, the Belgian football officials learned from the circumstances surrounding his death and changed their medical procedures to improve the readiness of clubs to handle crises and prevent similar events occurring in the future.

One of the rare individuals whose tragic tale provides an unusual picture of a life spared by divine intervention is Danish player Jonathan Richter. Richter got struck by lightning in 2009 during a clash between Nordsjaelland and Hvidovre. This event attracted global attention due to its rarity and terrifying nature.

After eleven days in a coma, surgeons opted to amputate a section of the young midfielder's limb in an attempt to prolong his life. Despite this bringing his career to a premature end, Richter re-established himself as an inspiration to others, giving his own survival and well-being top priority over any aspirations of returning to the sport.

Shortly after being brought on as a substitute for Dinamo Bucharest in a league game in Romania in May 2016, Patrick Ekeng, a Cameroonian footballer, slumped on the field, passing away less than two hours after admission for hospital care.

Subsequent studies exposed flaws in the emergency response, including a lack of a defibrillator suited for the ambulance that attended to Ekeng.

The death of Ekeng set out indignation and calls for responsibility as Romanian authorities and football teams came under close examination for failing basic medical procedures. This disaster exposed the need of establishing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the global treatment of unconscious football players.