Biography of Sebastian Haller, French footballer:

Sebastian Haller was born on 22 June 1994 in Ris-Orangis, a suburb of Paris, France. He is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for German club Borussia Dortmund and the Ivory Coast national team. Haller has emerged as one of the top strikers in Europe through his goal-scoring exploits in the Eredivisie, Bundesliga and Premier League.

Early Life and Beginnings
Sebastian Haller grew up in the Parisian suburbs of France with his mother, father and two siblings. He began playing organized football for a local club at age six. As a youth player, Haller started off playing as a midfielder before converting to a center forward. He later joined the youth academy of FC Istres at the age of 15.

After spending two years developing at Istres, Haller was signed by the academy of Dutch club AJ Auxerre in 2011 at the age of 17. He continued polishing his skills as a striker in Auxerre’s youth setup for the next three years.

FC Utrecht
In July 2014, Dutch Eredivisie side FC Utrecht signed the 20-year-old Haller on a free transfer after he declined a professional contract offer from Auxerre. He immediately became part of Utrecht’s first team squad and made his professional debut in August 2014.

Haller scored his first professional goal for Utrecht in a Dutch Cup match in September 2014. It took him few months to establish himself as the club’s starting striker, but he ended up scoring 11 goals across all competitions in his first pro season.

The 2015-16 campaign was a breakout season for Haller at Utrecht as he scored 17 goals in the Eredivisie, finishing as the league’s second top scorer. He also contributed 5 goals in the Europa League as Utrecht reached the knockout rounds. Suddenly, the young French striker was turning heads across Europe with his impressive goal-scoring record.

Haller was equally prolific over the next two seasons from 2016 to 2018, scoring a total of 41 goals in the Eredivisie for Utrecht. He formed a prolific striking partnership with Moroccan international Zakaria Labyad during this period. Thanks to his goal-scoring exploits, Utrecht qualified for the Europa League twice more in 2017 and 2018.

Eintracht Frankfurt
After scoring 51 goals in 98 total appearances for Utrecht, Haller earned a dream move to German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2017. Frankfurt paid a €7 million transfer fee to sign the 23-year-old striker.

Haller made an immediate impact in the Bundesliga, scoring 13 league goals in his first season with Frankfurt in 2017-18. He also contributed 5 goals in the club’s run to the final of the DFB-Pokal Cup that season.

The 2018-19 campaign proved to be Haller’s best season yet as he scored 20 goals in 41 matches across all competitions. His prolific partnership upfront with Luka Jovic and Ante Rebić saw Frankfurt challenge for a Champions League place while also reaching the Europa League semi-finals.

West Ham United
On 17 July 2019, Premier League club West Ham United announced the signing of Sebastian Haller for a club record fee of €50 million. The 25-year-old was brought in to lead West Ham’s attack after Marko Arnautovic’s departure.

Haller had an impressive debut season in the Premier League in 2019-20, scoring 10 goals for West Ham. However, he struggled for form and injuries in his second season, scoring just 3 goals in 2020-21. After two mixed seasons in England, West Ham made the decision to allow Haller to move on.

Ajax
In January 2021, Haller returned to Dutch football as he signed for Eredivisie giants Ajax for a transfer fee of €22.5 million. This moved proved a masterstroke as Haller rediscovered his best goalscoring form with Ajax.

He was simply sensational in the 2021-22 season, scoring 34 goals to finish as top scorer as Ajax won the Eredivisie title. Haller also scored 11 Champions League goals, including 4 in one game against Sporting Lisbon. His brilliant performances earned him the Dutch Footballer of the Year award.

Borussia Dortmund
After his incredible goal-scoring season at Ajax, Haller attracted interest from top European clubs. In July 2022, he completed a €31 million transfer to German giants Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund were drawn to Haller’s prowess in front of goal as they looked to fill the void left by Erling Haaland.

International Career
Born in France, Haller represented his nation extensively at youth level. He played for the French youth teams from under-16 to under-21 level. However, he was still eligible to play for Ivory Coast, the homeland of his mother.

In November 2020, Haller announced he would be switching allegiance to play for Ivory Coast at senior level. He made his debut for The Elephants in March 2021. Haller has established himself as the starting striker and top marksman for Ivory Coast, scoring 5 goals in his first 8 caps for his new national team.

Playing Style
Standing tall at 6’3” (1.90m), Sebastian Haller has the ideal physical frame to lead the line as a powerful striker. He possesses great aerial ability and can dominate opposing center backs in the air. Haller is also technically sound, with good link-up play and an eye for goal.

While not particularly quick, he uses his strength and positioning to get into good goalscoring areas. He is a composed finisher in front of goal who can score with both feet as well as his head. Haller’s intelligent movement and excellent positional awareness make him a nightmare for defenders to mark.

Beyond his goal-scoring, Haller contributes to his teams with his ability to hold up play and bring others into the game. After a few seasons of inconsistency, Haller has developed into one of the most well-rounded and prolific strikers in Europe.

Personal Life
Haller was born in France but his mother is originally from the Ivory Coast. He has two siblings, an older brother and younger sister. Away from football, Haller enjoys playing basketball, watching movies and spending time with his family.

Haller is multilingual – fluent in French, English and Dutch. He is Muslim by faith. Haller is known to be calm and humble despite his fame and tries to avoid the spotlight. On the pitch, he is cool under pressure and demonstrates leadership for his teams.

Conclusion
In summary, Sebastian Haller is a French-born Ivorian striker whose goal-scoring exploits in the Dutch league earned him moves to top clubs in Germany and England. After a record-breaking season at Ajax, Haller is now set to lead the attack for Borussia Dortmund. Still only 28, his best years likely lie ahead as he enters his prime. With his combination of power, technical ability and intelligence, Haller has become one of the most dangerous marksmen in Europe.