Borussia Dortmund striker, Sebastien Haller opens up on his treatment for a malignant testicular tumour

Sebastien Haller has opened up about his ongoing treatment for a malignant testicular tumour as he eyes a return to action.

The Borussia Dortmund striker was diagnosed with the tumour after feeling unwell during the club’s pre-season tour of Switzerland in July.

Haller, 28, revealed he spends ‘five days at a time at the hospital, where I am hooked up 24/7’ and cannot get out of bed while the treatment is injected. He then has a two-week rest period. 

‘That’s one phase, and I have to do that four times,’ he told UEFA. 

‘Four phases of chemotherapy lasting roughly three weeks each. After that, depending on how my cancer is progressing and how it is spreading, I may be forced to undergo surgery. 

‘A lot of people are asking me when I will be back, but there’s a lot to take into account so it’s hard to give them a straight answer.’

He was expected to be out of action for ‘several months’ but said in a positive update on his treatment that he had a ‘timescale in mind’ for his return.

‘I’m lucky enough to feel well,’ he added. ‘I am physically able to work, I feel fine from both a mental and a physical point of view, which is of course helpful to fight this disease. I have a timescale in mind. 

‘If I’m lucky enough not to need surgery, things can go very quickly. 

‘Three weeks after the final phase, checks are made to see what stage the metastasis is at, and whether you require surgery or not. If I don’t need an operation, with the way I train, I’d like to think that I will be in good condition at the end of those three weeks.’

Haller received the diagnosis shortly after signing for Dortmund for £31m in July following an impressive 2021-22 season which saw him score 34 goals in all competitions. 

He is yet to make his debut for the Bundesliga giants but remained upbeat about his condition. 

‘One of the first things I told myself was: “OK, it’s happened to me. I am going to do everything to be good mentally and physically”. I was a spoiled child; I never had any worries,’ Haller said.

‘This is the first big ordeal I had to face. Some people start their lives like that. I was lucky that it came later in my life so I can’t complain. 

‘It’s a challenge, a huge challenge, and the fact that you were able to overcome it means that you’re a warrior, you’re strong; this little piece of flesh, of your body missing, mustn’t destroy your self-confidence, instead it shows how much stronger and bigger you are as a person.’

Speaking in August about how his family reacted to the news, Haller admitted that his mother had struggled to come to terms with his diagnosis. 

‘My wife was in shock, but she could deal with it. But.. my mom.. it wasn’t the same, because mothers are mothers,’ Haller said in an interview with ESPN.

‘I called my brothers and sisters to make sure they will be there for her, so that she wouldn’t feel alone. This is what I have done.’