“He was devastated and couldn’t tell us himself”

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Perhaps a cabin visit explains the very poor performance of FC Sion in Geneva. Because a few days before the match at Servette (0:5), goalkeeper Heinz Lindner (32) visits the team. Not to say that his metacarpal fracture is now healed and he will soon be able to play again. The message is very different. A devastating one.

Linder reveals to his teammates that he has testicular cancer. A shock!

Lindner made it public on Tuesday. In an extensive Instagram post, he writes: «Unfortunately I have to tell you that this season is over for me at FC Sion and in the national team. I was recently diagnosed with a tumor in my left testicle. You can certainly imagine that this diagnosis hit me hard.”

Stunned Constantine

The club management has known it for a long time. “We’ve known for about two weeks,” said Sion president Christian Constantin. “Heinz was so devastated that he couldn’t tell us himself. It was goalkeeping coach Massimo Colomba, who has had a close relationship with Heinz since their time together at FC Basel, who brought us the bad news.

And CC had only one major concern when he learned about the disease. That the cancer may have already spread. CC: “We can only thank God that this is not the case. That is the most important thing at the moment.” CC himself has not yet spoken to Lindner. His son and sports director Barthélémy, on the other hand, has. How is Lindner doing? Barth: “How must it feel when you are about to become a father and three months get this diagnosis later? It’s almost unbearable in my head.”

Operation went well

Lindner herself consciously discloses many details. He has decided to deal with his illness openly and honestly, he writes. Mainly to prevent speculation about his health condition. Lindner says: “I had surgery a few days ago, which went very well. I would like to thank the team of the Hôpital Riviera-Chablais Vaud et Valais in Rennaz and in particular Dr. Joelle Deriaz and Dr. Thank you Thomas Tawadros. Thank God the malignant tumor was recognized in time and had not yet spread.”

And now Lindner is already looking at the (football) future. In the coming weeks he wants to fully concentrate on getting healthy again. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed that both the Austrian national team and FC Sion will play positively in the upcoming matches without me and I will keep my fingers crossed for them as a fan. I look forward to being fully fit and ready to play again next season. ” ÖFB team coach Ralf Rangnick hopes so too: “I am very relieved that the operation went well and I wish Heinz all the best for his further recovery.” He firmly believes that “Heinz will soon be back to normal. I look forward to returning to the national team in the autumn.”

Lindner is already thinking about getting back to training

But Lindner wants to train much sooner, says CC: “He told us he wanted to start training again in four weeks.” And that should be possible in a Super League club. The easier way for Zion would be to catch up with Winterthur and deflect the barrage.

And there is a first bright spot: Lindner’s backup Kevin Fickentscher (34), who missed the last two games due to a calf injury, has been training again since Tuesday and should be able to play against YB on Sunday. CC now hopes for one thing: that Lindner’s teammates really give it their all. For Heinz!

Source : Blick