Norwegian national team player Frida Maanum survived the scary situation with a start.
Arsenal’s Norwegian star Frida Maanum had moments of horror when he collapsed onto the pitch in the League Cup final against Chelsea on March 31.
The crowd, which also included the star player’s family and girlfriend, watched in silence as Maanum was carried off the field wearing an oxygen mask.
On Thursday, Maanum described the dramatic events for the first time in the Norwegian media for VG. He doesn’t remember the moments before he fell.
– I just remember waking up surrounded by medical staff. There were a lot of them. Who would be stressed in such a situation. That’s the last thing you hope for in a football match, Maanum said.
– I was scared. What scared me the most was what had just happened. That has probably happened to everyone who has passed out unexpectedly.
Maanum is grateful that there were medical personnel nearby. A similar situation in one’s own apartment, for example, could have been much more dangerous.
Maanum’s girlfriend Emma Lennartsson plays soccer in Linköping’s Damallsvenskan team.
– The situation was very difficult for me. I couldn’t see if he could move and then the medical team was called. It was terrible to watch, Lennartsson said for Aftonbladet.
– The shortening was certainly a particularly dramatic situation for him. He came from the stands quite quickly to me. It was great that he was with me for the first week, Maanum said.
Arsenal won the League Cup final 1–0.
A touching comeback
The midfielder recovered from the situation quickly. He has found out the reason for his depression, but did not want to tell VG. Arsenal told at the beginning of April, that the player had no heart problems.
However, he plays with a heart rate monitor just in case.
Maanum returned to the field on Sunday and received a standing ovation from over 40,000 spectators as third-placed Arsenal beat Leicester 3-0 at home in the English Women’s Super League.
– It was very touching. I admit I got goosebumps. Having the almost sold out Emirates Stadium stand up… it was a nice welcome.
Maanum says that the incident has made him think about life differently than before.
– Life is quite fragile in many ways, especially as a football player. It’s easy to take things for granted. Returning to the field on Sunday put things into perspective. I’m going to be grateful every time I get to play.