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Sebastian Haller has one of the most inspiring stories in football.
On February 11, 2024, S. Haller, with the Ivory Coast, became African Champions in front of their fans, but the journey until then was definitely not easy.
Starting his career in his native France, the striker had a very eventful career. He initially had a few very good seasons at "Auxerre" and "Utrecht." Immediately, he caught the attention of a strong German club - Eintracht Frankfurt.
The seasons in Germany were excellent. In the 2018-19 season with Frankfurt, S. Haller managed to reach the Europa League semi-finals, and the season before that, they also won the German Cup. With 15 goals and 9 assists, the striker earned a chance in the strongest league in the world - the Premier League with West Ham United.
At that time, S. Haller was a record-breaking signing for West Ham, with a fee rising to 45 million pounds sterling. However, his seasons in England did not live up to expectations. He was plagued not only by troubles on the field but also off the field, as his wife and newborn faced health problems. Overall, despite scoring two very nice goals during his time in England, he was overshadowed by Michail Antonio.
Dortmund welcoming Afcon winner Sebastian Haller in grand style ๐ฅ๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/WwSr1R87p6
— Samson Oppongโ๏ธ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ง๐ท (@samsonoppong10) February 15, 2024
The player, born in France, could reveal his talents in the Netherlands. Representing Ajax, he scored in every Champions League group match, becoming the first player to score 10 goals in a CL season, joining the elite company of Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski with his 10 goals. The season was great, with 21 goals in Eredivisie, and his career returned to Germany.
In Germany, S. Haller signed a contract with Borussia Dortmund, but a month after signing the contract, he heard crushing news - a tumor was found in his testicles. Fortunately, four chemotherapy sessions and two surgeries helped stabilize the situation. Modern medicine allowed Haller to return to the field as early as January 2023.
A year after his return to the field, the 29-year-old striker began making history with the Ivory Coast national team in the Africa Cup of Nations. He contributed significantly to the triumph - scoring 2 goals, one of which was decisive in the final against the Nigerian team (2:1).
Of course, S. Haller's goal now is to return to his best form in club football, but the triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations was not only sweet because of the achievement for his homeland but also because of the shared history. This story inspires not to give up and find belief in the toughest moments, as there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
a week ago today around this time Sebastian Haller scored the winning goal on the 81' min to deny Nigeria their 4th Afcon trophy
— ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โฆ๏ธ๏ธ (@onerolladay) February 18, 2024
Cote D'ivoire ๐๐จ๐ฎpic.twitter.com/U7JkPZIndX
