Borussia Dortmund’s Ivorian striker Sebastien Haller has given hope that he will be able to return to the field immediately after undergoing chemotherapy for testicular cancer.
The 28-year-old, who was diagnosed after being at Dortmund in July, appeared at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday.
Haller received warm applause from the audience as he took the stage to present the Yashin Trophy as best goalkeeper, which was won by Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois.
“It’s okay. I’m here because everything is fine and it’s going as well as possible,” Haller told compatriot and co-organizer of the event Didier Drogba.
“It is important to be present at this type of ceremony to show that we are fighting and that we are strong, because we represent a lot of people there. “
Haller, whose shaved head reflects weeks of care, finished 13th out of 30 players nominated for the Ballon d’Or, won by French forward Karim Benzema.
The Ivory Coast international finished top scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie last season with 21 goals, scoring 34 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions for Ajax in 2021-22.
After a successful season with the Dutch giants, the former Eintracht Frankfurt and West Ham player has signed a four-year contract with Dortmund for up to € 34.5m.
Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said last season’s Bundesliga runner-up will not push Haller into action again.
We hope he can play again in the second half of the season. But he alone will decide, “Watzke told Bild earlier this month.
“We don’t want to and shouldn’t put pressure on him. The tumor was huge and he has all the time in the world to come back whenever he wants.”
Haller represented France at a youth level before moving to the Ivory Coast.
The striker also played for Auxerre and Utrecht in the Netherlands.
He scored four goals in 15 appearances for Ivory Coast.
He also participated in the 4 games of the Elephants during the last African Cup.
Liman Serge
