“It’s very flattering”, Haller savors his nice ranking in the midst of the battle against the disease
While fighting testicular cancer since July, Sébastien Haller finished in 13th place for the Ballon d’Or on Monday. Present at the ceremony in Paris, the Ivorian international striker named all his pride at the microphone of La chain L’Equipe.
A nice thinning in the middle of his daily fight against cancer. While a tumor in the testicles was transmitted to him last July and he has been fighting for many weeks against the disease, Sébastien Haller had the good surprise to learn that he finished 13th in the Ballon d’Or on Monday .
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“Very happy, I think everyone who is going to attend this ceremony knows that it is the biggest in football. It is good to be there to share this moment with other people, revealed the striker 28-year-old Ivorian with The L’Equipe channel before knowing his final ranking. I understand that there were a few names out…”
Haller: “It’s a great reward for me or my loved ones”
“It’s very flattering, very flattering yes … Yes of course (that I’m happy), continued the native of Ris-Orangis (Essonne) when asked about his presence in the top 15, while his name hadn’t been released yet. Afterwards, it’s not the most important thing today. I would say that it’s a bit anecdotal. It also testifies to the work that has been done before and it’s a great reward for me or my loved ones who are here today.”
In recent days, with UEFA, the Borussia Dortmund striker recounted his daily battle against illness. “I spend five days in a row in the hospital, where I’m hooked up 24/7, I can’t get out of bed while the treatment is integrated into my body. Then I get two weeks off. This is phase 1, and I have to do it four times. Four recovery phases lasting about three weeks each, Haller detailed. Depending on how my cancer progresses and spreads, I might have to have surgery. A lot of people ask me when I’ll be back, but there’s a lot to consider so it’s hard to give them a clear answer.”