Haller manages a hat trick – and shows that he is ready
“The best possible feeling” – Haller manages a seven-minute hat-trick
Sebastien Haller scored the first goals for Borussia Dortmund in his second appearance after his shock diagnosis of testicular cancer. In the friendly win against FC Basel, the striker scored a hat-trick for BVB in just under eight minutes.
There has been a lot of noise at Borussia Dortmund in recent days – but Sébastien Haller’s progress gives the club new courage. After surviving cancer, he has big plans. The striker lets his actions do the talking on the pitch with surprising speed.
Dhe fans were screaming his name and Sébastien Haller was happy to oblige – posing for selfies and signing autographs. The Franco-Ivorian striker from Borussia Dortmund is back – that’s by far the best news at the end of BVB’s training camp in Marbella.
The second test game for coach Edin Terzic’s team in Andalusia was scheduled for Friday and it was impressive proof that six months after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, Haller is making giant strides on the way to old form.
In the 61st minute he came on for Youssoufa Moukoko against FC Basel. First, the 28-year-old converted a penalty kick, shortly afterwards he pushed a cross ball from Julian Brandt over the line in a goalscoring manner – and finally he completed a corner kick from Tom Rothe with the outside of his foot to make it 6-0 for BVB.
“It shows the spirit of the team,” enthuses Haller
“It’s the best possible feeling of all: playing, scoring goals, helping the team and feeling that my body is making progress every day,” Haller explained afterwards. He was particularly pleased about the congratulations from his teammates, who all congratulated him after his first goal. Even keeper Gregor Kobel came running out of his goal. “It shows the spirit of the team. No matter what happens, whether on or off the field – we are all human and stick together,” said Haller.
Haller’s successful convalescence, who had to undergo two surgeries and several periods of chemotherapy, gives BVB a sense of elation. In an effort to salvage the hitherto unsuccessful season, hopes are once again resting heavily on the striker.
The eight days in Marbella have shown that Haller is to be expected again soon. After the intensive training sessions and the partial appearances in two test games, he can say that he is on the right track, says Haller: “My body feels tired, but the efforts I make are the only way to get back to my old fitness to reach. It’s painful, but it’s worth it.”
Testicular Cancer – Affects younger men in particular
Testicular cancer was diagnosed for BVB newcomer Sebastien Haller. In professional football he is not alone. In Germany, around 4,200 men receive this diagnosis every year. You should watch out for these symptoms.
Source: WELT/ Alina Quast
In a week’s time, when Dortmund face FC Augsburg at the start of the second half of the season, Haller will definitely play a role. At least a partial deployment is likely. “I don’t want to cause the coach a headache, but I want to show him that he still has a striker who is ready,” Haller announced, continuing to work hard. He’ll need a few more days. The medical department will also keep him under close observation for the coming week.
If Haller were to play against Augsburg, it would be his first competitive appearance for BVB. For him, it’s not primarily about just playing the first game. He wants to get in a condition where he can play “all the games”.
“I missed this feeling” – Haller celebrates a long-awaited comeback
176 days after the shock diagnosis of testicular cancer, Sebastien Haller finally played his first game for Borussia Dortmund in a friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf. “Of course, this support is good,” said Haller after the game.
The prospect of this is already electrifying the fans and allowing them to overlook the fact that there is currently a lot of background noise around the table sixth. Above all, Moukoko’s still open future is getting on my nerves. But Haller’s return is emotionally above everything else.
