Niklas Kreuzer celebrates emotional comeback after suffering from testicular cancer

Niklas Kreuzer was thrown into the air by his teammates and the fans celebrated him with a large poster reading "Welcome back, Niklas Kreuzer". The Hallescher FC defender, who came on as a substitute for the first time in 166 days after his testicular cancer became known, was in tears. His team's 3:2 win at MSV Duisburg was the icing on the cake of a highly emotional evening for Kreuzer.

Coach Sreto Ristic had already asked in the past few days what the veteran was capable of. When a breath of fresh air was needed with the score at 1-2 after 69 minutes, Ristic sent Kreuzer onto the pitch. "I had the feeling that I had to bring some emotion into the game. It had to be something more than soccer. He's a very important player for us, his presence is very good," said the coach on MagentaSport.

For Kreuzer himself, it was still unreal after the game. "It's a dream come true. It's exactly what I imagined," said the 30-year-old. He had returned to team training 20 days ago after chemotherapy. "The plan was actually that I would and could take more time. But I felt really good, but I also realize that there's still a lot missing," said Kreuzer.

The team made it very easy for him. "I was a bit nervous and there was a tingling sensation. I was running a lot during the chemo, I tried to stay fit just for this moment. It's amazing to then celebrate a win," said the right-back, who crossed for the decisive goal from Jonas Nietfeld, who scored again after 32 games. Timo Gayret and Dominic Baumann had already scored for HFC before Nietfeld. The ball also bounced back onto the pitch four times off the post and crossbar.