Sebastien Haller plays for Dortmund for the first time

Emotional comeback: After being treated for cancer, BVB striker Sebastien Haller debuted in a league jersey. He came on as a substitute in the test match against Düsseldorf.

Sebastien Haller made a surprisingly fast comeback just a few months after his second cancer surgery. In Borussia Dortmund’s 5-1 (2-1) victory over Fortuna Dusseldorf in Marbella, the top scorer in the Bundesliga, who was diagnosed with a testicular tumor last summer, came in the 74th minute. Dortmund’s record purchase, committed by Ajax Amsterdam at the start of the season vs. €31.5m, debuted with BVB on Tuesday.

“It was a great moment for me. I felt a lot of support. I tried not to give the coach any alternatives and I worked hard for this moment,” Haller said vividly of his short stint. BVB coach Edin Terzic’s reaction was less emotional: “For the first time he was not wearing a training shirt but a Borussia Dortmund shirt. We are proud that we were able to be there and try it on today. It’s a great story.” The football teacher is eager for more progress: “We hope no negative reaction appears, so we can build on that and increase our workloads in the next few days.”

This raises hopes that the 28-year-old Ivorian national player will be in the squad for the sixth Bundesliga team’s first competitive match on November 22 at home against FC Augsburg. “Yes, anything is possible. There are no limits in my head. I will do my best to be there on January 22,” Haller said on Monday.

In November, the attacking player planned to replace Torgarant Erling Haaland (Manchester City), and he had to undergo a second operation. But even before the official start of league training a week ago, he was working in the weight room with great ambition to build his form. Good values ​​in Performance Diagnostics paved the way for his return to the team.

In light of Haller’s return, the score of the game faded into the background. Felix Passlak (5th minute), Karim Adeyemi (32), Nico Schloterbeek and Donyell Malen (86/88) ensured Dortmund deserved victory. Düsseldorf equalized through Dawid Konaki (the seventh penalty kick) to make it 1-1 in the meantime. On January 13, BVB will play a second friendly match against FC Basel. A day later, Terzic’s team starts the journey back from the training camp in Andalusia to Germany.