Sebastian Haller felt Signal Iduna Park was on fire as he celebrated his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund.
The 28-year-old scored at a symbolic moment: his first goal in a 5-1 thrashing of Freiburg came on World Cancer Day.
After signing for Dortmund in July, Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer and did not appear for the first half of the season while recovering.
The long-awaited debut came in January, and on Saturday he got into the protocol.
Haller’s goal sparked enthusiastic celebration from home supporters who saw their club promote testicular cancer that day, which delighted the Ivory Coast forward.
Before the match and during halftime, a bulge will be added to the center circle, symbolizing testicular swelling, to raise awareness of testicular cancer.
It’s never too early to get screened for cancer, and please do it regularly! #World Cancer Day pic.twitter.com/URwBcuT77D
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) February 4, 2023
“My first goal means a lot to me,” he told Sky.
“When I scored the goal, I felt the whole stadium was on fire. Not only the fans, but also teammates and staff.
“I was looking forward to this goal from the very first moment.”
Dortmund’s victory equalizes them on points with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, which will play Wolfsburg on Sunday, two points behind leaders Union Berlin.