BERLIN: Germany striker Thomas Mueller said Monday he was retiring from international football after a disappointing Euro 2024 in which the host nation were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
“After 131 national team games and 45 goals, I am saying goodbye,” Mueller said in a video statement announcing his decision.
Mueller, who turns 35 in September, was a key member of the German team that won the 2014 World Cup.
The charismatic forward also scored the opening goal in Germany’s unforgettable 7-1 win over the hosts Brazil in the semi final.
“When I played my first international match for the German national team over 14 years ago, I could never have dreamed of all this,” Mueller said in the video.
“It always made me very proud to play for my country. We celebrated together and sometimes shed a tear together,” he said.
A tearful Mueller had hinted at retirement following Germany’s exit from Euro 2024.
The tournament hosts lost 2-1 in the quarter-final to Spain, who went on to lift the trophy on Sunday against England.
After the Spain game, Mueller said he would hold talks with national team coach Julian Nagelsmann and decide whether it was the “sensible option” to step aside in favor of younger players.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is the only member of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning side still involved in the national team set up.
Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos announced before Euro 2024 that he would retire from football after the tournament.
Unlike Kroos, Mueller will continue to play for his club Bayern Munich, where he is under contract until 2025.
Only Lothar Matthaeus and Miroslav Klose have played more games for Germany than Mueller, who is also Germany’s sixth highest goalscorer of all time.
Thomas Mueller ends Germany career following Euro 2024
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Thomas Mueller ends Germany career following Euro 2024
- Mueller, who turns 35 in September, was a key member of the German team that won the 2014 World Cup
Sinner beats Tiafoe to win ATP Cincinnati Open
- Sinner claimed his fifth victory of the season in emphatic style
CINCINNATI: Italy’s world number one Jannik Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to win the ATP Cincinnati Open on Monday.
Sinner claimed his fifth victory of the season in emphatic style, swatting aside Tiafoe 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in 1hr 36min to underscore his credentials for next Monday’s US Open.
The win was Sinner’s third in an ATP Masters event after previous victories in Toronto and Miami.
Sinner, the reigning Australian Open holder, now owns 15 titles after denying Tiafoe a first American success in Cincinnati since Andy Roddick won in 2006.
Aryna Sabalenka wins first title since Australian Open, beating Jessica Pegula at Cincinnati
MASON, Ohio: Aryna Sabalenka won her first title since the Australian Open in January, beating Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 in the Cincinnati Open on Monday.
Sabalenka, who moved up a spot to No. 2 in the rankings before the match, didn’t lose a set en route to her 15th WTA title. She had never gotten past the semifinals at Cincinnati, losing three times in that round.
The 26-year-old Sabalenka can now be considered a favorite at the US Open, which begins on Aug. 26 in New York. The Belarusian missed Wimbledon with a shoulder injury, then returned to the tour at Washington two weeks ago.
In the men’s final, top-ranked Jannik Sinner was set to face Frances Tiafoe on Monday night.
Against Pegula, Sabalenka took 17 minutes to build a 4-1 lead in the first set.
Pegula, who double-faulted five times, broke serve for the first time to tie the second set at 5-all, but Sabalenka won the next two games to finish off the 1-hour, 14-minute match.
The sixth-ranked Pegula had a challenging road to the final. After defending her title at Toronto, the American played two matches on Friday because of weather-related postponements and had three matches go three sets. Her time on the court exceeded Sabalenka’s by more than two hours entering the final.
Sabalenka joined top-ranked Iga Swiatek as the only players with 10 or more WTA titles since 2020. She beat Swiatek in the Cincinnati semis.
Vardy scores on Premier League return as Leicester holds Tottenham to 1-1 draw
Jamie Vardy still knows how to score in the Premier League.
The 37-year-old striker rescued a point for Leicester in its return to the Premier League on Monday by heading home a second-half equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham, which had largely dominated the first half.
Tottenham had plenty of opportunities to build a bigger lead but new signing Dominic Solanke was among those guilty of missing chances.
Instead it was Spanish defender Pedro Porro who made Tottenham’s early superiority count after 29 minutes when he got between two Leicester defenders to head James Maddison’s cross into the net at the far post.
But Vardy, who was key to Leicester’s stunning Premier League title win in 2016 and has remained with the club since then, was left unmarked to head home an equalizer.
A corner count of 9-0 gave some indication of Spurs’ dominance in the first half but Vardy’s goal changed the game completely.
Steve Cooper’s team suddenly looked a lot livelier and both teams had chances to win in a busy last half hour.
“Tottenham are a really good team but we gave them too much respect, and we started getting after them and it changed the momentum,” Vardy told Sky Sports.
Vardy spurned a good chance in the 70th minute when he was able to run clear on goal but his low shot was saved by Guglielmo Vicario. At the other end, Richarlison sent a header wide deep into injury time with the last chance of the match.
“It is a disappointing night for us,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said. “We need to be more ruthless in front of goal. We were that dominant, we should have been well away from the opposition. To be that wasteful tonight when we had so much of the ball and territory, it is disappointing.”
The game was halted for eight minutes late in the second half after Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur sustained a head injury. The Uruguayan received oxygen and taken off on a stretcher, but Postecoglou said he was “conscious and communicating.”
Pakistan announce squad for first Bangladesh Test after injury rules out Aamir Jamal
- The two-match series is part of World Test Championship’s third cycle with Pakistan sixth in the current nine-team table
- Bangladesh, which rank eighth, will be hoping to overturn their no-win record against Pakistan, having lost 12 of 13 Tests
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced 11-member Pakistan squad for the first of two Tests against Bangladesh, after injury ruled out all-rounder Aamir Jamal.
Bangladesh begin a two-Test series in Pakistan this week with their preparations severely hampered by political turmoil at home.
The first Test match between Bangladesh and hosts Pakistan will commence from 21 August at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
“Aamir is recovering from a back injury which he sustained while playing county cricket this year,” the PCB said as it announced the 11-member squad.
Aamir, who was earlier included in the squad subject to fitness clearance, has been advised to work on his fitness at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Bangladesh got some reprieve after the Pakistan Cricket Board invited them to arrive four days early to make up for their lack of preparations.
The tourists will be hoping to overturn their no-win record against Pakistan, having lost 12 of the 13 Tests, with just one draw.
The two-match Test series is part of the World Test Championship’s third cycle with Pakistan sixth in the current nine-team table and Bangladesh eighth.
The second Test — both matches moved to Rawalpindi because of construction work at Karachi stadium — will be played from August 30.
Pakistan squad for first Test against Bangladesh:
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi
New era for Bangladesh and Pakistan ahead of first Test
- Bangladesh begin two-Test series this week with preparations severely hampered by political turmoil at home
- Test series is part of World Test Championship’s third cycle with Pakistan sixth in the current nine-team table
KARACHI: Bangladesh begin a two-Test series in Pakistan this week with their preparations severely hampered by the political turmoil that has wracked the country.
Unrest that led to the overthrow of prime minister Sheikh Hasina kept the team’s foreign coaches indoors, strictly following adviseries from their embassies, while mass protests stopped the team from assembling for practice sessions.
The make-up of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is also up in the air, after president Nazmul Hassan fled the country due to his association with Hasina.
Cricket and politics go hand-in-hand in Bangladesh, but ace allrounder Shakib Al Hasan — a member of the now-dissolved parliament for Hasina’s party — is being allowed to feature in the Pakistan series by the interim government.
“Because of the situation it was not possible to practice,” spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed told reporters.
The tourists got some reprieve after the Pakistan Cricket Board invited them to arrive four days early to make up for their lack of preparations.
A second-string Bangladesh team — with six players included from the national team — had already been playing practice games in Islamabad since August 10.
To add to Bangladesh’s problems, in-form opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy has been ruled out of the first Test with a groin strain, but senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim is expected to recover in time from a finger injury.
Bangladesh will be hoping hope to overturn their no-win record against Pakistan, having lost 12 of the 13 Tests, with just one draw.
The two-match Test series is part of the World Test Championship’s third cycle with Pakistan sixth in the current nine-team table and Bangladesh eighth.
The second Test — both matches moved to Rawalpindi because of construction work at Karachi stadium — will be played from August 30.
Following a 3-0 rout in Australia earlier this year, Pakistan brought in former Aussie paceman Jason Gillespie as Test coach, while Adelaide groundsman Damien Hough was hired to improve the standard of pitches.
Having released their only spinner, Abrar Ahmed, Pakistan will enter the Test with an all-pace attack — a ploy they last used five years ago against Sri Lanka at the same venue.
Bangladesh, however, will rely on spin with Shakib (237 wickets), Taijul Islam (195), and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (164) all included.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood refused to accept the Bangladesh team is under-prepared.
“You expect all international Test sides to come into a series well prepared and trying to play their best cricket,” he told AFP.
“Bangladesh is a side that has quality players in all departments and we highly respect the challenges they bring as a side to us.”
Masood also hopes Pakistan will show improvement under the new coach.
“We are excited to see how they (coaches) help us to be better people, better cricketers and — most importantly — be among the top teams in the world.”
Teams (from):
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed
