Sebastien Haller explains goalscoring joy after testicular cancer recovery - 'It was not only about me'
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Updated 15/02/2023 at 12:41 GMT
Sebastien Haller spoke to CNN World Sport about his emotional journey to remission after recovering from testicular cancer. The 28-year-old scored his first goal following his return in a 5-1 win over Freiburg earlier this month and recounted that hugely significant day. He also expressed his gratitude at the incredible amount of support received from across the football community.
'For a lot of people!' - Haller says his goal was for more than just him
Sebastien Haller says he was overwhelmed by the support received in his recovery from testicular cancer.
Haller’s goal in a 5-1 win over Freiburg on February 4 was his first since being given the all-clear, and he recounted that emotional moment in an exclusive interview with CNN.
“Those kinds of moments make you remember why you play football," he said.
“When you score a goal, you feel like you’re on a cloud because the stadium is on fire and your team-mates are happy.
“It’s a moment that’s difficult to describe, but especially this one because I knew it was not only about me, but also about the adventure to this day.
“It was about everything that it represented for a lot of people, so I was even more happy that I could score on this day.”
The 28-year-old recounted the moment when he found out the dreaded news, but also spoke about the overwhelming support received in his battle with the disease.
“I was at the training camp in Switzerland and I said to the to the doctor and physios that I had something in my body that was a bit uncomfortable,” he explained.
“So we had to take an MRI the next day, and after that they saw that it was a tumour, but they didn't know exactly the nature of it.
“I had to get it checked by the urologist. He knew it was this cancer and everything happened very quickly, let's say in 24 hours.
“The toughest thing was to see the faces of my family and deal with the pain and the sadness from my closest ones.
“I want to say that they helped me as much as they could, especially as I was doing my treatment in Amsterdam. So many people helped me, from my neighbours to the people on social media.
“It was not just about one person or just one club, and I never expected so many people around to help me - this made a big difference.”
Attention turned back to matters on the pitch, as Dortmund prepare to take on Chelsea in the Champions League last 16.
The forward spoke about the meaning of playing in Europe's premier competition, and is relishing the prospect of taking on the continent's best sides once again.
“Of course, for me, the Champions League has a lot of great memories and I want to create some more," he added.
“I'm just excited to play because I know this will be a special moment, and I want to make it even more special with a good result at the end.”
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