Haller is healthy but is still hurting: "Losing the title was worse than finding out I had cancer"

Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller found missing out on the Bundesliga title worse than his testicular cancer diagnosis.

The 29-year-old Ivory Coast international stunned the Bild reporter by comparing last season's final-day agony with the chilling news.

"It really is true. The missed title hurts me more than the cancer diagnosis at the time. If you are sick, there is nothing you can do about it. You have to accept it and move through it. But we had the title in our own hands, we could influence everything ourselves. In that case, you have to painfully accept that you may have made mistakes or wrong decisions."

Haller faced early career struggles at AJ Auxerre and numerous loans. He found success at FC Utrecht, then moved to Eintracht Frankfurt, and later to West Ham United, where he faced pressure and criticism. However, he experienced a revival at Ajax, showcasing his resilience and talent. The move to Dortmund just over a year ago was supposed to be the pinnacle of his career. But the worrying diagnosis put goalscoring on hold. Thankfully, his treatment was successful, and he returned to the pitch in January.

He's done well in the second half of the season, but in the decisive match against Mainz on the last matchday, in which the title was at stake, he missed a penalty. The 2-2 was not enough, and Bayern Munich won the championship.

"Missed opportunities eat away at you. You think about what you could have done better. But I have also learned, especially during my illness, not to let negative things get to me."

The tall striker will forever carry a scar on his soul.