Sebastien Haller has officially left Borussia Dortmund, securing a permanent move to Dutch side FC Utrecht. Dortmund confirmed the deal on Monday, stating that Haller’s departure comes after his contract was cut short by a year, allowing him to join Utrecht on a free transfer.
The 31-year-old Ivorian striker had spent the second half of last season on loan at Utrecht, a club he had previously played for between 2015 and 2017. In his statement, Haller expressed that although other clubs had shown interest, FC Utrecht remained his preferred choice. “This summer there was quite a bit of interest from other clubs, but for me there was only one ideal scenario and that was FC Utrecht,” Haller shared on the club’s official website.
Haller’s time at Dortmund has been marked by several challenges. He joined the Bundesliga giants in 2022 in a €31 million ($36 million) deal from Ajax but faced a major setback shortly after his arrival. Just weeks into his tenure, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, forcing him to take a six-month break from the game while undergoing treatment.
Despite the difficult start to his Dortmund career, Haller remained resilient. He played a key role in the Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph last year, scoring the winning goal in the final against Nigeria.
However, his time at Dortmund was also marred by a missed penalty on the final day of the 2022-23 season. His miss in the 2-2 draw against Mainz handed Bayern Munich the Bundesliga title, a painful memory for both Haller and the club.
