A resilient Sébastien Haller has inspired the football world through his impressive fight against cancer. His first reward followed on Tuesday: fifteen minutes of playing time in a friendly match between Borussia Dortmund and Fortuna Düsseldorf. The former employee of London based club West Ham United, missed the feeling deeply.
A memorable debut
The Bundesliga team had little trouble with the opponent from the second division of German football: 5-1 win, two goals from Donyell Malen. The haunting image of the practice pot in Marbella followed in the last part of the match: Haller’s substitution. The striker responded on the club website to his first minutes in yellow-black.
“It was a beautiful moment on the field. I received a lot of applause and messages that support me. Finally I wore BVB’s shirt. Playing is a much better feeling than running around in the woods, a feeling I’ve been missing. I now want to stay fit until the end of the season,” the striker mentioned.
Trainer Edin Terzic also realized that it was a special moment. “Yes, for Seb, for his family, but also for us. Finally, he wasn’t wearing a training shirt. We are proud that he has taken this path and that we were able to experience this today,” said the former assistant coach of Beşiktaş.
His teammates also had nice words for him. Giovanni Reyna: “This was great. We’re glad he’s back. He’s such a good guy, he works hard. You can immediately see his quality on the field. He really adds something to our game.”
On Twitter, Haller’s colleagues Jude Bellingham and Mats Hummels have also made themselves heard, as well as his employer.
Admiring words for Haller also came from the opponents. Opponent Fortuna Düsseldorf, arch rival Schalke 04 and former employers Eintracht Frankfurt and Ajax, among others, made themselves heard online.
