Picture Credut: X
In the world of football, Premier League announced the fixtures of the upcoming season. The 2024-25 season will be played from August 17 with Manchester United kickoff the proceedings against Fulham and will last till May 25, 2025. In another big news, AIFF sacked Igor Stimac as the head coach of the Indian men’s football team following a disappointing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers campaign.
Read below to learn details about these top stories and other happenings in the sport world in the last 24 hours.
Football
Manchester United play opening day as Premier League announce 2024-2025 fixtures
Manchester United will kick off the Premier League 2024-2025 season on August 17 (IST) against Fulham, after the fixtures were announced by the league management on June 18. The Premier League has confirmed that the upcoming season will begin with Erik ten Hag-managed United on opening day, with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle United taking the field on August 17. For the first big clash of the season, defending champions Manchester City will face Chelsea on August 18.
Nicolae Stanciu’s stunner powers Romania to 3-0 win over Ukraine
On Monday, June 17, Romania defeated Ukraine 3-0 in a Group E match to start their UEFA Euro 2024 campaign on a winning note at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Nicolae Stanciu opened the scoring on the day for Romania with a right-foot stunner into the top corner, following which they scored two quick goals in the second half.
Kylian Mbappe suffers “nose fracture” during France’s 1-0 win over Austria
France captain and star player Kylian Mbappe suffered a horrific nose injury during the side’s clash against Austria in the Euro 2024. The official statement from the French FA read, “Kylian Mbappe returns to the base camp of the French national team. Mbappe suffered a broken nose during the second part of the Austria-France held this Monday in Dusseldorf. The captain of France was treated first by the medical staff and Dr. Franck Le Gall, who diagnosed him with a nose fracture.”
AIFF sack Stimac after poor FIFA WC 2026 qualification campaign
AIFF sacked Igor Stimac as the head coach of the Indian men’s football team following a disappointing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers campaign. Under the Croat, Stimac won four major honours, including two SAFF Championships, one Intercontinental Cup and a Tri-Nations Series. The statement said, "A notice of termination has been issued to Mr Stimac by the AIFF Secretariat, and he stands relieved of his obligations with immediate effect.”
Major football results
UEFA EURO 2024:
Austria 0:1 France
Romania 3:0 Ukraine
Belgium 0:1 Slovakia
Tennis
Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur to miss 2024 Paris Olympics
With the 2024 Paris Olympics set to be played across July and August, a few tennis stars have opted out of the Summer Games. Joining Emma Raducanu, World No. 3 ranked Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 10 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia on Monday, June 17 confirmed that they will not take part in the upcoming Games. While Sabalenka aims to spend some time off the tennis court, Ons Jabeur called this decision as a precautionary measure.
Sumit Nagal attains career-high ATP ranking of 71
India's tennis sensation Sumit Nagal reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 71, marking a significant milestone in his ascending career. This remarkable achievement comes just a week after Nagal achieved his previous best ranking of 77. His impressive climb in the ATP rankings was propelled by his runner-up finish at the Perugia ATP Challenger tournament, which concluded on Sunday, June 16.
Others
Neeraj Chopra to compete at Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland
India’s ‘Golden Boy’ Neeraj Chopra is all set to return to competitive action confirming participation at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024. The 26-year-old Indian athlete, who was forced to take a short break to mend a niggle, will return at the Paavo Nurmi Games, set to take place on Tuesday, June 18.
