After overcoming cancer, Sébastien Haller wants to lead Borussia Dortmund to glory

After recovering from cancer, Sébastien Haller was a big reason for Dortmund's late title run. The stats highlight that in his first full season, Haller could be the missing piece to win the title.

“It is the best thing I could hope for,” Sébastien Haller said to Gegenpressing after Borussia Dortmund’s pre-season game against the San Diego Loyal at Snapdragon Stadium. “I have been playing football since I was very young, and to be able to do what I love is a blessing. I just want to take every moment and enjoy it.”

The statements come, of course, a full year after Haller had to interrupt his first pre-season with Dortmund after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. The 29-year-old Ivorian international wouldn’t just overcome his cancer diagnosis but also return and became the crucial part of a Dortmund run that would almost conclude by finally ending Bayern Munich’s stranglehold of the Meisterschale.

Only it wasn’t meant to be, as Haller would miss a penalty on matchday 34 that would have equalized an early Mainz lead. Who knows what would have happened had Haller made it 1-1 that afternoon? “That sort of miss isn’t easy for your head,” Haller said when asked about that penalty. “But you know that a lot of people support you.”