Sébastien Haller is back on the football pitch. The comeback of the Dortmund attacker, who was ill with testicular cancer in the summer, provided emotional moments during the Borussia training camp in Marbella.
Sébastien Haller has made a surprisingly quick comeback just a few months after his second cancer operation. In the 5: 1 (2: 1) of Borussia Dortmund in the test against Fortuna Düsseldorf in Marbella, the goalscorer of the Bundesliga soccer team, who was diagnosed with a testicular tumor last summer, came on in the 74th minute. Dortmund’s record purchase, committed by Ajax Amsterdam at the beginning of the season for 31.5 million euros, made his debut for BVB on Tuesday.
“It was a great moment for me. I felt a lot of support. I tried not to leave the trainer with any alternatives and worked hard for this moment,” commented the visibly moved Haller on his brief assignment.
Edin Terzic reacted no less emotionally: “For the first time he wasn’t wearing a training shirt, but the jersey of Borussia Dortmund. We are proud that we were able to be there and experience it today. It’s a great story.” The football teacher longs for further progress: “We hope that he will not show any negative reaction, that we can build on that and increase the workload in the next few days.”
This increases hopes that the 28-year-old Ivorian national player will also be in the squad for the first competitive game in the sixth Bundesliga team on January 22 at home against FC Augsburg. “Yes, everything is possible. In my mind there are no limits. I will do my best to be there on January 22,” the convalescent said on Monday.
In November, Haller, who was planned to replace Torgarant Erling Haaland (Manchester City), had to undergo a second operation. But even before the official start of BVB training a week ago, he was working in the weight room with great ambition to build up his form. The good values in the performance diagnostics paved the way back into the team.
