Haller-lujah: How the BVB professional for Ivory Coast shaped the Africa Cup

Dreamed about it “so many times”.

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When a reporter hugged him while he was sobbing on the lawn, Sébastien Haller also shed a few tears. “We have dreamed of this moment so often,” said the Borussia Dortmund striker on Sunday evening, shortly after he scored the decisive 2-1 (0-1) for Ivory Coast in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against Nigeria (to the match report) . The third title after 1992 and 2015 for this year’s host country is also a very special one for Haller.

“Haller-lujah!” wrote England legend Gary Lineker on X, formerly Twitter. Many observers recalled the special story of the 29-year-old striker, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the summer of 2022, shortly after his move from Ajax Amsterdam to BVB. After several months of treatment, Haller returned to the field.

His goals and assists enabled BVB to make a splendid comeback in the second half of the 2022/23 season, but when the championship seemed almost perfect, the striker’s nerves gave out. His missed penalty on matchday 34 against Mainz (2-2) contributed to the missed title – and at the same time initiated Haller’s sporting decline in Dortmund. So far this season he has only started four Bundesliga games and has not scored any goals in a total of eleven appearances. Its market value has fallen since the summer from 30 million to currently 18 million euros.

BVB striker Sébastien Haller rejected a loan move to FC Fulham

The lost championship title caused him more pain than the cancer diagnosis, Haller told “Sport Bild” in the fall. “Unsuccessful situations or missed opportunities wear on you. You think about what you could have done better. But especially during my illness, I also learned not to let negative things get to me so much.” Shortly before the transfer deadline he could have left BVB, the black and yellow gave the green light for negotiations with the English first division club FC Fulham. Haller himself rejected the loan transfer until the summer. His contract in Dortmund is valid until 2026.

Nmecha, Adeyemi & Haller in the top 10: BVB’s most expensive purchases

21 Maximilian Philipp | 2017/18 from SC Freiburg | Transfer fee: €20 million

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As of: August 7, 2023

21 Axel Witsel | 2018/19 by TJ Tianhai | Transfer fee: €20 million

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21 Thomas Delaney | 2018/19 by Werder | Transfer fee: €20 million

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21 Erling Haaland | 2019/20 by RB Salzburg | Transfer fee: €20 million

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21 Nico Schlotterbeck | 2022/23 by SC Freiburg | Transfer fee: €20 million

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20 Jadon Sancho | 2017/18 by Manchester City U18 | Transfer fee: 20.59 million.

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Plus the resale share for Man City when moving to Man United

19 Paco Alcacer | 2019/20 by Barca | Transfer fee: €21 million

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18 Manuel Akanji | 2017/18 from FC Basel | Transfer fee: €21.5 million

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17 Mario Götze | 2016/17 from FC Bayern | Transfer fee: 22 million.

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14 Andriy Yarmolenko | 2017/18 by Dynamo Kyiv | Transfer fee: €25 million

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14 Emre Can | 2020/21 by Juventus | Transfer fee: €25 million

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14 Julian Brandt | 2019/20 by Bayer 04 | Transfer fee: €25 million

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11 Marcio Amoroso | 2001/02 by Parma | Transfer fee: €25.5 million

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11 Nico Schulz | 2019/20 from 1899 Hoffenheim | Transfer fee: €25.5 million

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11 Thorgan Hazard | 2019/20 from M’gladbach | Transfer fee: €25.5 million

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10 Henrikh Mkhitaryan | 2013/14 by Shakhtar | Transfer fee: €27.5 million

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9 Abdou Diallo | 2018/19 by Mainz 05 | Transfer fee: €28 million

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5 André Schürrle | 2016/17 from VfL Wolfsburg | Transfer fee: €30 million

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5 Donyell Painting | 2021/22 by PSV Eindhoven | Transfer fee: €30 million

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5 Karim Adeyemi | 2022/23 by Red Bull Salzburg | Transfer fee: €30 million

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5 Felix Nmecha | 2023/24 from VfL Wolfsburg | Transfer fee: €30 million

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4 Jew Bellingham | 2020/21 by Birmingham | Transfer fee: 30.15 million.

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Plus the resale share for Birmingham when moving to Real Madrid

3 Mats Hummels | 2019/20 from FC Bayern | Transfer fee: €30.5 million

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2 Sébastien Haller | 2022/23 by Ajax Amsterdam | Transfer fee: €31 million

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1 Ousmane Dembele | 2016/17 by Stade Rennes | Transfer fee: €35 million

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Plus the resale share for Stade Rennes when moving to Barcelona

Despite BVB’s sporting misery, Haller impressed in the crucial moments of the Africa Cup. He was only allowed to start from the start in the semi-final against DR Congo (1-0) and in the final, and he scored the decisive goal twice. His story fits in with the crazy tournament run of the hosts, who were almost eliminated after a disastrous 4-0 defeat in the preliminary round against Equatorial Guinea. As third in the group, the Ivorians sneaked into the knockout phase – but without their coach Jean-Louis Gasset, from whom they parted ways with much fanfare.

Assistant Emerse Faé took over mainly because preferred candidate and former national coach Hervé Renard was not available quickly. “I would have loved it, but fate decided otherwise,” said Renard, who coaches the French footballers, in an interview with the TV channel “Canal Plus”. The 55-year-old won the tournament in 2015 with the “Éléphants” led by captain Yaya Touré. So fate drove Faé forward, who stated after the deserved final win against Nigeria: “It was an extraordinary tournament.” For him, for the Ivory Coast – and especially for Sébastien Haller.

© tm/imago - Ivory Coast is the 2024 Africa Cup winner!

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