Christian Eriksen Leaves Wolfsburg by Mutual Agreement

Christian Eriksen and German club VfL Wolfsburg have mutually agreed to end his contract, the team confirmed on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old collapsed in June while representing Denmark in a friendly against Ukraine. In July, Eriksen announced that he would return to Denmark to begin a rehabilitation programme. He had previously suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 group game against Finland in Copenhagen in 2021.

The agreement ends Eriksen’s deal earlier than planned, as it was originally due to expire in June 2027. The midfielder arrived at Wolfsburg as a free agent one year ago and played 34 matches in all competitions. He recorded three goals and 10 assists but was unable to help the Wolves avoid relegation from the Bundesliga.

Eriksen explained that staying near his family in Denmark is currently his main priority and expressed satisfaction that an agreement had been reached. He described his spell at Wolfsburg as a period filled with both positive and difficult moments. He also voiced confidence in the club’s leadership and its prospects of returning to the Bundesliga.

Wolfsburg’s managing director of sport, Dieter Hecking, said the second-division side accepted Eriksen’s request to terminate the contract. The midfielder made his final appearance for the club in May, when Wolfsburg lost a promotion and relegation playoff against Paderborn.

Hecking praised Eriksen’s remarkable career and numerous accomplishments. He added that, despite spending only a short period at the club, the player made a strong and lasting impression on teammates, staff members and supporters.

Before collapsing on the field in 2021, Eriksen represented Ajax, Tottenham and Inter. He later received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), but was required to leave Inter because Serie A regulations do not allow players fitted with such a device to compete.

Eriksen joined Brentford in 2022 and later spent three years with Manchester United before moving to Wolfsburg last summer. Following his second on-field collapse, he said in June that the ICD had performed exactly as intended.

In a social media message, Eriksen acknowledged that receiving a shock from the device had deeply affected him and his family. However, he stressed that the circumstances were different from those surrounding his cardiac arrest in 2021.

He added that he was feeling well and had already begun recovering. Eriksen also thanked the medical professionals who have treated him and monitored his heart over the years, saying their expertise ensured that the ICD protected him when it was needed.