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Thorgan Hazard Leaves Fans Puzzled with Goal Celebration Dedicated to Family Parakeet 

Belgium's Thorgan Hazard runs with the ball during the group G match between England and Belgium at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad, Russia, on June 28, 2018. (AP) 
Belgium's Thorgan Hazard runs with the ball during the group G match between England and Belgium at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad, Russia, on June 28, 2018. (AP) 
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Thorgan Hazard Leaves Fans Puzzled with Goal Celebration Dedicated to Family Parakeet 

Belgium's Thorgan Hazard runs with the ball during the group G match between England and Belgium at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad, Russia, on June 28, 2018. (AP) 
Belgium's Thorgan Hazard runs with the ball during the group G match between England and Belgium at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad, Russia, on June 28, 2018. (AP) 

After scoring for Anderlecht in the Belgian league Sunday, Thorgan Hazard left fans puzzled about his goal celebration.

The midfielder celebrated by mimicking a bird flapping his wings after his header put Anderlecht level at 1-1 with Sint-Truidense in the 49th minute, in a game his team went on to win 4-1 to guarantee a spot in the season's playoffs.

The 30-year-old Hazard, who joined Anderlecht in September from Borussia Dortmund, said the celebration was a request from his children after one of the family's parakeets passed away.

“We had three birds at home, but one passed away this week,” said Hazard, the younger brother of former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Eden Hazard. “Toto was a parakeet we rescued when I was in Dortmund. My children asked me to dedicate a goal for it. They are the ones who choose my celebrations.”

Anderlecht is Belgium's most successful club but has seen its supremacy challenged in recent years. The club won the most recent of its record 34 Belgian league titles in 2017. Anderlecht is currently in second place in the Belgian league, nine points behind Brussels rival Union Saint-Gilloise.

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Swansea Celebrity Co-Owner Snoop Dogg Receives Grand Welcome on First Visit 

Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
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Swansea Celebrity Co-Owner Snoop Dogg Receives Grand Welcome on First Visit 

Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)

American rapper ‌and producer Snoop Dogg received a guard of honor and was greeted with twirling white towels on Tuesday on his first visit to Swansea City since becoming an investor with the Welsh side last year.

Dressed in Swansea's colors, the 54-year-old ‌took the ‌field ahead of the ‌Championship ⁠game against Preston ⁠North End through a guard of honor comprising young footballers from Wales, as over 20,000 fans filled the stands.

The match ended 1-1, with Swansea's ⁠Liam Cullen netting a ‌95th-minute equalizer.

Swansea ‌head coach Vitor Matos told reporters that ‌Snoop Dogg had spoken with ‌the players in the dressing room.

"He's someone that likes to be involved. He was involved not only ‌with us, but as well with the (US) Olympic team. ⁠He ⁠really loves sports," added Matos.

"It's good for him to be involved. I'm happy that we have someone like him who loves the club, loves the city, wants to be here."

Swansea, who are 14th in the English second tier, face Ipswich Town on Saturday.

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Dortmund Says Some Fans Will Miss Atalanta Game Due to Police Measures

Borussia Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac attends a press conference at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 24 Febuary 2026. EPA/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA
Borussia Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac attends a press conference at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 24 Febuary 2026. EPA/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA
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Dortmund Says Some Fans Will Miss Atalanta Game Due to Police Measures

Borussia Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac attends a press conference at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 24 Febuary 2026. EPA/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA
Borussia Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac attends a press conference at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 24 Febuary 2026. EPA/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

Borussia ‌Dortmund said some of their fans will not be able to attend Wednesday's Champions League match at Atalanta after being denied entry to Italy while others ‌have been ‌visited by the ‌police ⁠at their accommodation.

"Borussia ⁠Dortmund are currently unaware of any detailed background information regarding the measures taken by the ⁠authorities," the club ‌said ‌in a statement.

"While Borussia Dortmund ‌understand the need ‌for security-based risk assessments for football matches, the club is more than ‌surprised by the scope and scale of ⁠the ⁠police measures taken."

Dortmund lead 2-0 heading into the second leg. The winners will meet with either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16.

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Medvedev Calls for Ranking System Rethink to Ease Burden on Players 

Russia's Daniil Medvedev hits a return against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Russia's Daniil Medvedev hits a return against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
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Medvedev Calls for Ranking System Rethink to Ease Burden on Players 

Russia's Daniil Medvedev hits a return against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)
Russia's Daniil Medvedev hits a return against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)

Daniil Medvedev has called for ‌a streamlined ATP calendar with only Grand Slams and Masters 1000 tournaments offering ranking points, though the Russian concedes such reforms would be difficult to implement.

Top players are obligated to compete in the four majors and eight Masters events, with the world rankings breakdown reduced from 19 to 18 tournaments in 2026 after the men's body removed an ATP 500 commitment.

World number 11 Medvedev said that if smaller events did not ‌count towards ‌the rankings, it would ease the ‌pressure ⁠on players, who ⁠have criticized the 11-month calendar.

"That's the only way to make the tour shorter," Medvedev said. "It's never going to happen because there are licenses, and the ATP won't have enough money to buy all of them.

"The other tournaments won't say, 'OK, we're out' because they would lose ⁠money. It's business. Right now, with ‌how the ATP Tour is, ‌it's never going to change, at least while I'm playing.

"Make ‌it four Grand Slams ... 11 Masters. The others, ‌maybe make them without points."

Reuters has contacted the ATP for comment.

ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi defended the calendar in October, saying scheduling remained the players' choice.

Medvedev said players pushed themselves too ‌hard to be one of the top eight to make the ATP Finals ⁠in Turin. ⁠He pointed to Holger Rune, who ruptured his Achilles in an ATP 250 event in October.

"Everybody was like 'Yeah, but you don't have to play it', but if he wants to be in Turin, he has to, even if it's not a mandatory tournament," Medvedev said.

"Last year, I played seven tournaments in a row. Did I have to? No. I played bad at the beginning of the year, maybe I can get 100 points here, 200 here.

"If there would be no points, it's an easier decision."