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Dortmund's Haaland on 'Zen' celebration: I love meditation

Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland has said his "Zen" celebration was inspired by his love of meditation.

Haaland, who left FC Salzburg to join Dortmund in January, scored both goals in the 2-1 win Champions League round-of-16 first leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

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And following his first goal, he sat on the floor and held his hands out in what has become known as his "Zen" celebration.

"I really enjoy meditation," Haaland told Esporte Interativo, when asked about the meaning behind the celebration.

"It makes feel calm and gives me tranquillity. This is why I sometimes celebrate like that when I score."

In February, Haaland was given a signed shirt by former Swansea and Napoli forward Michu. The Norwegian replied to the tweet of the gift with the words: "Wow what a legend!"

And the 19-year-old has said Michu was among his footballing heroes when he was growing up.

"I have a lot [of idols] and Michu is one of them," he added. "He was amazing at Swansea.

"I also love Cristiano Ronaldo and what he has done in the past 10 years. I love to observe, especially strikers because I am one."

Dortmund are hoping to reach the Champions League quarterfinals and sit four points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

And Haaland believes the team can achieve great things if they are able to maximise the talent within the squad.

"I know how good we are as a team and I know the quality in our team," he said. "We just have to get the quality out. If we can do that, the sky's the limit."