Trenčín secured a 3-2 victory over Humenné in the opening round of Slovakia's football relegation playoffs. The playoff system will continue with the second round scheduled for Sunday, March 29, with Trenčín hosting Prešov at home while Humenné will welcome Skalica. The relegation playoffs determine which teams will remain in Slovakia's top football division and which will be relegated to lower leagues.
Slovak ski jumper Hektor Kapustík qualified for the second round of a World Cup competition in Planica, Slovenia, finishing in 24th place after the first round. This marks only the third time in his career that Kapustík has advanced to the second round of a World Cup ski jumping event. The achievement represents a significant milestone for the Slovak athlete in the highly competitive international ski jumping circuit.
Slovak basketball referee Obertová has been nominated to officiate at the Final Six tournament of the women's EuroLeague. She is among eight referees selected for the prestigious final stage of Europe's premier women's basketball competition. The Final Six represents the culmination of the EuroLeague season, bringing together the continent's top women's basketball teams to compete for the championship title.
Slovak forward Dalibor Dvorský scored the opening goal in the 38th minute to help St. Louis secure a victory in their latest NHL game. Fellow Slovaks Martin Fehérváry and Šimon Nemec each recorded assists for their respective teams during the night's action. The performances highlight the continued strong presence of Slovak players in the National Hockey League, with multiple players making key contributions to their teams' success.
Turkey secured their place in the UEFA Nations League playoff final following a scoreless draw against Romania. The match produced few scoring opportunities for either side, with Romania failing to register a single shot on target against the Turkish goal. Turkey midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu acknowledged the team's progress while emphasizing they are "only halfway" to their ultimate objective of securing promotion to the top tier of the Nations League competition.
Defender Norbert Valjent made his return to the Slovak national football team for the first time since June 13, 2022, when he played in a Nations League match against Kazakhstan. His previous appearance came before the arrival of current Italian head coach Francesco Calzona. Valjent expressed disappointment about conceding a goal after halftime, saying it was psychologically damaging to the team.
Kosovo defeated Slovakia 4-3 in Bratislava in a World Cup qualifying match, bringing the Balkan nation within one game of its first-ever World Cup appearance. The victory has been hailed as historic by Kosovan media and fans, with celebrations extending far beyond sports into political significance. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and only began competing in FIFA tournaments in 2016, now faces a crucial final qualifying match at home on Tuesday. The result demonstrates how football success has become deeply intertwined with national pride for the young nation, as Kosovo seeks to establish itself on the global stage through sporting achievements.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have emerged as an unlikely playoff contender in the National Hockey League after a dramatic turnaround that began with a coaching change earlier this season. Just over two months ago, the Nationwide Arena in Ohio was witnessing another disappointing campaign for the home team, with the Blue Jackets appearing headed for another season without playoff hockey. The team entered the new calendar year in poor form, despite having high expectations when the 2024-25 season began. The transformation has been attributed primarily to the mid-season coaching change, which has helped revitalize a squad that had been among the league's worst performers. The remarkable improvement has positioned Columbus as one of the surprise stories of the NHL season, demonstrating how quickly fortunes can change in professional hockey with the right leadership adjustments.
Slovakia's national team lost 3-4 to Kosovo, ending their hopes of qualifying for this year's World Championships. Coach Francesco Calzona's squad had advanced to the playoffs after finishing second in qualifying Group A, behind Germany, which won the group and secured direct qualification to the tournament running from June 11-19.
Italy secured their place in the World Cup playoff final after defeating Northern Ireland in Bergamo, overcoming their opponents' resistance in the second half. The Italians, who failed in their previous two World Cup qualifying playoffs, will now have another chance to reach the tournament. Meanwhile, Sweden advanced to face Poland in their playoff semifinal.
Slovakia took a 2-1 lead over Kosovo at halftime in their Nations League promotion playoff semifinal at the sold-out National Football Stadium in Bratislava on Thursday. The home team opened the scoring in the 6th minute through Martin Valjent before Veldin Hodža equalized for Kosovo in the 21st minute. Slovakia then regained their advantage before the break. The winner of this two-leg semifinal will advance to face either Turkey or Hungary in the final for promotion to Nations League A, the competition's top tier.
Ecuador's national team coach has expressed optimism that midfielder Moisés Caicedo could be available for the team's opening World Cup match against Ivory Coast on June 14. The player had been expected to miss the crucial fixture due to a suspension stemming from a red card received during a September qualifying match. The coach's comments suggest there may be developments regarding Caicedo's eligibility that could allow the key player to participate in Ecuador's tournament opener.
Latvia and Luxembourg secured victories in the first legs of their UEFA Nations League promotion playoffs, putting them in strong positions to advance to League C. Luxembourg defeated Malta in their playoff match, with the winner set to join Iceland, Bulgaria and Estonia in Group 4 of League C. Meanwhile, Latvia beat Gibraltar, with the victorious team earning a place alongside Montenegro, Armenia and Cyprus in Group 2. The return legs will determine which teams complete their promotion from League D to League C in UEFA's Nations League structure.
Poprad dominated Žilina with a 4-1 victory in the fifth game of their hockey playoff quarterfinal series. The visiting team started strong, with Alex Výhonský scoring just five minutes into the game following a spectacular pass from behind the net by Šotek. The decisive win puts Poprad in a commanding position in the best-of-seven quarterfinal series of Slovakia's top-tier ice hockey league playoffs.
Slovakia's national handball team was placed in a qualifying group alongside Germany, Italy, and Belgium following the draw for European Championship qualifications. The Slovak team was seeded in the fourth and lowest-ranked pot based on performance rankings. The draw divided 32 teams into eight four-team qualifying groups for the upcoming European Championship tournament.
Slovakia will face Turkey in the final of the Nations League playoff if they defeat Kosovo in their semifinal match. The playoff represents Slovakia's path to secure promotion or avoid relegation in UEFA's Nations League competition, which divides European national teams into leagues based on performance. Meanwhile, Romania's coach Mircea Lucescu made history by becoming the oldest coach to lead a national team at age 80 years and 240 days.
Jamal Musiala has returned to Bayern Munich's training sessions after recovering from a serious injury sustained in July during the Club World Cup. The German international midfielder suffered a broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments in the tournament, which kept him sidelined for an extended period. His return to training marks a significant step in his recovery as Bayern looks to have their key player available for upcoming fixtures.
The Slovak Press Agency (TASR) has sent reporters to the Czech Republic to provide comprehensive coverage of the World Figure Skating Championships. The news agency's correspondents will deliver text reports, photo coverage, and additional multimedia content from the competition.
Slovakia's under-21 national football team heads into their upcoming qualification match in Kazakhstan as the favored side. Coach Jaroslav Kentoš's squad aims to maintain their perfect record against opponents from lower-ranked performance tiers in the qualification campaign. The match represents another opportunity for the young Slovak players to demonstrate their superiority over teams considered to be from weaker football nations in their qualifying group.
Slovakia's hockey relegation playoffs for the top-tier Extraliga will span nearly a month, with a total of 12 rounds scheduled. HC Trenčín will complete their playoff matches in Piešťany rather than their home venue. The extended playoff format will determine which teams remain in Slovakia's premier hockey league and which face relegation to lower divisions.