The moving reappearance of Erling Haaland’s replacement at Borussia Dortmund after recovering from testicular cancer

This Tuesday, the image many fans were expecting was given: that of Sebastien Haller dressed in shorts and finally made his debut for Borussia Dortmund, after overcoming testicular cancer.

The Ivorian striker he had arrived at the club in July 2022replacing Erling Haaland but after a few days They found a malignant tumor, for which he had to undergo surgery and perform rehabilitation in order to return to court.

The attacker’s return took place in the context of a friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf, in Marbella, where Dortmund moved for a mini preseason, before the restart of the Bundesliga, on the 20th of this month. Haller entered in the 74th minute by Youssouffa Moukoko, when the score was already favorable 2-1 -goals by Felix Passlack and Karim Adeyemi- and increased to reach the final 5-1 -Nico Schlotterbeck and Donyell Malen increased twice-. Although the 9 didn’t participate in the goals, the most important thing was his return to the field, which made the crowd and his rivals happy, who dedicated a post to him on the net.

“What a show, what a man”, Jude Bellingham, his partner, dedicated a post to him, accompanied by a yellow and a black heart, the colors of Dortmund. “So cool to see!” enthused Matt Hummels, with a video showing his entry into the game.

Haller, who was a member of Ajax in the Netherlands, He was signed last summer for €35m and hadn’t played a match for his team against Zambia since 3 June 2022. Now everything indicates that he will be able to play his first official minutes on Sunday the 22nd, in the second leg of the Bundesliga in the match against Augsburg.

The illness

On 18 July, Sebastien Haller left Borussia Dortmund’s pre-season training camp in the Swiss town of Bad Ragaz, after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in medical tests carried out by his club after complaining of “discomfort”. training.

Twelve days later, upon further examination, the The club confirmed the striker’s testicular tumor was “malignant” and he had to undergo chemotherapy as part of his treatment, as well as undergoing surgery.

“Happy New Year everyone! And it’s starting very well because it’s synonymous with a return to the field! 2022 hasn’t been the easiest year but it has prepared me to face all the new challenges that 2023 will offer me. Can’t wait to see everyone again” said the Ivorian along with the photos he posted on social networks on January 2, when he joined the training.

The return to court is already an extraordinary event for Haller, he admitted that he went through a period that “wasn’t easy”, but that “You realize that all the work of these six months has been worth it” allowing him to play again.

“Sure, anything is possible. I don’t put limits on my head. The only people who can impose restrictions on me are the coach and medical staff” he said from France. And he added, faced with the possible official premiere: “When everyone agrees that it’s a good idea for me to play, then I’ll play. But obviously I want to be on the pitch every day and get back to playing as soon as possible.”