Borussia Dortmund striker Sébastien Haller has a testicular tumor and has left the pre-season training camp of his new club in Switzerland.
In an official statement, Dortmund said the 28-year-old first complained of feeling unwell in training on Monday. The tumor was found during a medical examination, and Haller returned to Germany for further testing. Tumors can be benign and do not always lead to a diagnosis of cancer.
“Today’s news has surprised Sebastien Haller and everyone else,” said club sporting director Sebastian Kehl. “The whole BVB family hopes that Sébastien will fully recover as soon as possible and that we can give him a big hug again soon. We will do everything in our power to make sure he receives the best possible treatment.”
Haller joined Dortmund earlier this month from Ajax, with Dortmund paying an initial € 31 million for a player looking to replace Erling Haaland. The French international from Côte d’Ivoire scored 34 goals with the Dutch team last season, including 11 in eight Champions League games.
Following Dortmund’s announcement, Ajax simply tweeted “Seb” with heart and prayer emojis. West Ham, where Haller played from 2019 to 2021, tweeted, “We’re with you, @HallerSeb. I wish you all the best in your recovery.”