The players of the France team have not yet arrived on the lawn for their training the day before the match. But on the green rectangle of the Vélodrome stadium, Thursday March 24, a connoisseur of the French teams is already kicking the ball. In the midst of his teammates from the Ivorian selection, Sébastien Haller, who has moved to the young Blues from the U16s to the Espoirs, is preparing to face the France team on Friday.
For the 27-year-old striker, the symbolism is strong. Fourth top scorer in the history of Espoirs (9 goals in 17 selections), Haller will find some of his former teammates: Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Adrien Rabiot, Kingsley Coman or Mike Maignan. A fratricidal duel, which Haller certainly did not expect when he announced in 2019 his desire to join the big boys, the A team under the leadership of Didier Deschamps.
Haller saw himself as Olivier Giroud’s successor. He is now the very high-level striker that Côte d’Ivoire has been looking for since the international retirement of Didier Drogba in 2014. If he decided to play for the Elephants for the first time in November 2020 against Madagascar (2- 1), it was at the end of a long reflection, between the desire to participate in major international competitions and the uncertainty of seeing oneself, perhaps one day, called up to the French team.
“Today, he has no regrets about his choice. He is proud to represent Ivory Coast“, assures Loïc Gustan, Haller’s agent. After his debut with the Elephants, Haller (12 caps, 4 goals) immediately established himself as an indispensable part of the selection. A success for Patrice Beaumelle, the coach of the Côte d’Ivoire, who had made Haller his priority upon his arrival at the post in 2020.
For his first trip as Elephants coach, Beaumelle went to London in March 2020 to attend a match between Arsenal and West Ham, where Haller was playing at the time. “My interest in Haller already dates back to my first mission for Côte d’Ivoire, when I was deputy in 2014-2015 [de Hervé Renard]. He played in Auxerre and I went to see him play discreetly because I knew he had dual nationality“, explains Patrice Beaumelle.
“He is the first player I met, with Nicolas [Pépé]. I wanted to see Sébastien at all costs to convince him to join the Ivory Coast selection“, continues the coach. At the time, Haller does not decline, but gives himself time to think. The exchanges, regular, between Beaumelle and the Haller clan, “were decisive“in the attacker’s decision, assures Loïc Gustan.
11 – Sébastien Haller is the first player to score 11+ goals in a Champions League season without playing in at least the quarter-final stage. Support-act. #UCL pic.twitter.com/Q5bJkV3M0q
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) March 15, 2022
After this meeting, Haller wants to continue to believe in the France team, but his performances at West Ham are not flamboyant. “Can’t say he’s the most talentedassures Pierre Mankowski, coach of Haller at the Espoirs. I remember the first time I went to see him play at Auxerre, I wasn’t thrilled. And then when I saw him in Utrecht, I said to myself that we still had to continue to follow him.“
Not the most gifted, Haller has it”enormous capacity for workaccording to Mankowski. He is very diligent, he seeks to progress constantly. I would say that with him, you can’t say how far he will go.” A determination that has allowed him to explode at Ajax Amsterdam for a year: 46 goals scored in 58 games with the Dutch club, and above all a place as second top scorer in the Champions League this season (11 goals), behind Robert Lewandowski.
“With Sébastien, it’s always the same trajectory. It’s a little difficult, but he gets there because he never gives up“, assures Pierre Mankowski. But after having assured that he wants to play for the French team, world champion, is the choice to represent another team not a failure for the ambitious Haller?This question comes up often since he has been in the spotlight. But no, he is happy and fulfilled“, maintains Loïc Gustan.
Haller’s attachment to the Ivory Coast, “that he discovered thanks to his Ivorian mother“, quickly wards off potential regrets.”His heart beat for Ivory Coast“, assures Patrice Beaumelle, who is pleased with the successful integration of Haller with the Elephants. At 27, the striker took part in his first major international competition last January during the African Cup of Nations. Precisely this he was aiming for when he joined the Elephants.
Next year, Haller will experience new emotions with the organization of the African Cup of Nations by Côte d’Ivoire, which he will most certainly play alongside Willy Boly and Maxwel Cornet, two other players who have passed through the Hopes of the France team and now members of the Ivorian selection. This Friday evening, in the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille, it is alongside them that Haller will face his former teammates, now players of the France team.