The first hair grows again on the last bald head. After exhausting months with chemotherapy and two operations, a new era begins for Sébastien Haller – his second life as a professional soccer player.
For the first time since his testicular cancer diagnosis last summer, the 28-year-old attacker returned to his Dortmund teammates. He completed some of the mandatory performance diagnostics exercises at BVB at the start of training with a smile. And Haller also radiated confidence in his video message to the fans: “I’m finally back. It wasn’t easy, but thanks to your support it was easier. I’m looking forward to seeing you again – in the stadium for a few victories.”
Long road for Haller
But Haller has a long way to go back to the old form. “2022 wasn’t the easiest year. But it prepared me to take on all the new challenges that 2023 will offer me,” he commented via Twitter. He is not entirely comfortable with the limelight that will come with his return to training. When the national player from Ivory Coast was the last professional to drive up to the training ground in Dortmund’s Brackel district as dusk was falling, he didn’t look at the many photographers.
The shock of the diagnosis on July 18th at the Bad Ragaz training camp still affects BVB today. Any hopes of a speedy recovery and return to the pitch turned out to be wishful thinking. In November, the expensive Dortmund record purchase, committed by Ajax Amsterdam for over 30 million euros, which was intended as a replacement for Torgarant Erling Haaland (Manchester City), had to undergo a second operation. Even this new burden did not discourage Haller. That commands a great deal of respect from sports director Sebastian Kehl: “Sébastien fought incredibly and in the end mastered it brilliantly himself. He can be proud of that.”
World Cup visit to Qatar
Just a few weeks after the second operation, Haller’s smile was back. At Gianni Infantino’s invitation, the father of a family traveled to Qatar for the World Cup semi-finals and, alongside the FIFA boss, was clearly delighted at the first step back to normality.
Further steps are to follow. It is quite possible that Haller will travel to the around one-week training camp in Marbella next Friday. However, full-throttle units with his teammates are still a long way off. In coordination with the doctors, the training should be done carefully – without pressure from the top of the club. “He alone sets the pace,” said Kehl. First of all, the mental aspect is in the foreground. The proximity to his teammates should provide an additional boost – both for Haller and for the team.
Patience seems the order of the day. Nevertheless, everyone involved is looking forward to the first game of the top scorer in the black and yellow jersey. After all, the gap between expectations and reality has widened alarmingly in recent weeks. Sixth in the table, the supposed top team ranks beyond the Champions League places. “We want and need to play a better second half of the season than the first half. And Sébastien can certainly help us with that,” said Kehl of “Bild”.
