Another penalty drama for BVB unlucky man Haller | OneFootball

After missing another penalty, Sebastien Haller is once again at the center of a football drama. The former BVB striker became the tragic figure in the playoff final between Utrecht and Ajax.

Sebastien Haller has suffered the next bitter setback of his career. The former Borussia Dortmund forward became the tragic figure in the playoff final for the last Conference League spot in the Netherlands, also bringing back unpleasant memories at BVB.

In the Eredivisie playoff final, Haller’s FC Utrecht faced Ajax Amsterdam. After 90 goalless minutes, the match went into extra time. There, Ajax captain Davy Klaassen gave the visitors the lead in the 96th minute, before Gjivai Zechiël equalized at 1-1 just ten minutes later with a superb volley. With no further decision afterward, the match had to be settled by a penalty shootout.

There, of all people, Haller once again stepped into the spotlight. The 31-year-old confidently grabbed the ball as the first taker, but failed with a weak effort against Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Paes, who guessed the corner and made the save.

Another setback for Haller after difficult time at BVB

After six takers converted in a row and Utrecht’s Souffian El Karouani later also missed from the spot, it was confirmed: Ajax won 5-4 on penalties and managed to save their place in international competition after all. For Ajax, the victory meant salvaging an overall disappointing season. The Dutch record champions thus avoided a historic debacle, as the club had last missed out on European competition in the 1989/90 season.

Photo: IMAGO

For Haller, on the other hand, it was the next low point in an already difficult period. During his time at Borussia Dortmund, the striker had already become a tragic figure. His missed penalty in the title decider against Mainz 05 in May 2023 in particular remains etched in the memory of many fans to this day. Dortmund could do no better than a 2-2 draw at the time and threw away what had seemed a certain championship.

Haller’s time at BVB also, in hindsight, turned into a misunderstanding financially. Dortmund had signed the forward in 2022 for around €31 million and ultimately let him leave on a free transfer in 2025.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.