Jim Curtin is confident the Philadelphia Union have put themselves in a good position, but admits they need to stop dropping points ahead of their trip to Orlando City.

The Union had recorded back-to-back wins in MLS before last weekend, when they let a lead slip to draw 1-1 with Atlanta United.

It leaves them ninth in the Eastern Conference, one of three teams on 37 points, as they push for a place in the playoffs.

Despite the tight table, Curtin is optimistic that their solid work to this point will be enough to help them qualify.

We re at a point in the year that every team in and around that red line are very desperate, he said.

It s going to go down to the last day for sure, and we ve put ourselves in a situation where we re still in contro…

Premier League clubs have quickly distanced themselves from being involved in any attempt to revive the European Super League.

Here the PA news agency takes a closer look at how events this week could shape top-level football in the future.

Why is everyone talking about the Super League again?

: The and rules on prior approval of interclub competitions, such as the Super League, are contrary to

— EU Court of Justice (@EUCourtPress)

The European Court of Justice determined on Thursday that UEFA rules used to block the formation of the original Super League in 2021 were contrary to EU law. Backers of the Super League immediately declared victory and set out plans for new men’s and women’s competitions.

Did the court approve the Super Lea…

On-field success alone may not be enough to keep coach Antonio Conte at Inter, Ivan Cordoba believes.

Conte has guided Inter to the top of Serie A and they moved four points clear on Sunday with a 3-0 win at rivals Milan, the pace-setters for much of the season.

Not since Jose Mourinho s treble-winning season of 2009-10 had the Nerazzurri won the Derby della Madonnina by a three-goal margin or greater, with this latest result boosting hopes of ending the wait since that campaign for the Scudetto.

Yet even if Inter can secure the title this term, former club stalwart Cordoba a five-time champion, including under Mourinho still harbours concerns over Conte s relationship with the board.

The ex-Juventus, Italy and Chelsea coach has had difficulties with some…

Athletic Bilbao have long been a club unlike almost any other. It s fitting, then, that they are preparing for a cup final double-header never seen before.

The impact of coronavirus on the Spanish football schedule means Athletic will play in two Copa del Rey finals in two weeks. First, they will meet Basque rivals Real Sociedad in the delayed 2020 final on April 3; win that, and they ll be defending the trophy against Barcelona a fortnight later.

It could be a historic month for one of Spain s most prestigious clubs. One of three never to be relegated from the top flight – along with Barca and Real Madrid – Athletic have won eight league titles, 24 Copas del Rey and three Supercopas de Espana. That collection includes the 1902 Copa de la Coronacion, considered t…

Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived in England after completing his remarkable return to Manchester United.

Ronaldo, who left United in 2009 to join Real Madrid before going on to play for Juventus, completed a move back to the Premier League club on Tuesday.

The switch had been announced last Friday, when United confirmed they had agreed a fee with Juve. The Serie A club subsequently confirmed United would pay €15million for the 36-year-old in a series of instalments.

Ronaldo had seemed all set to join United s rivals Manchester City, but with the assistance of club great Alex Ferguson – cited by the Portugal captain as the main reason for his Old Trafford comeback – United completed a sensational swoop.

However, after leaving Turin a week ago, Ronaldo …

Barcelona have completed the signing of full-back Hector Bellerin following an agreement with Arsenal to terminate his contract.

The 27-year-old joined the Gunners from Barca s youth ranks in 2011 and graduated from Arsenal s academy to become a regular in the first-team squad.

Named in the PFA Team of the Year in the 2015-16 season, Bellerin won the FA Cup three times with Arsenal, but ultimately fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta.

He joined Real Betis on loan last season, making 23 LaLiga appearances and helping Manuel Pellegrini s team win the Copa del Rey.

Betis were reportedly keen on signing Bellerin on a permanent basis but were unable to do so due to his wage demands, while Sassuolo were eager to bring him to Italy.

However, Barca hav…

AS Roma have triggered the option to turn the loan of Angelino from RB Leipzig into a permanent transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Spanish left-back was apparently wanted by several Premier League clubs who tried to enter the race for his services, but Roma will not allow any interference with head coach Daniele De Rossi very keen on having Angelino in his squad.

The Serie A side are expected to pay €5.2 million to sign Angelino permanently, and they ve already agreed a contract with the 27-year-old worth €2 million net per year, with add-ons devised to boost his income further under certain conditions.

Having started his football journey at Deportivo La Coruna, Angelino moved to Manchester City s youth system and went on numerous loan spells. The trend con…

Portugal coach Fernando Santos insists his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo is unchanged despite dropping the captain for Tuesday s 6-1 win over Switzerland at the World Cup.

Ronaldo was benched after Santos expressed his disappointment with the striker s attitude following his substitution during last week s defeat to South Korea.

Santos said on Monday the matter had been resolved internally, but Ronaldo was then dropped to the bench for the clash at Lusail Stadium, starting a major-tournament match among the substitutes for the first time since 2008 (31 games).

A fan poll on the website of Portuguese newspaper A Bola suggested 70 per cent of Portugal fans wanted Ronaldo out of the team, and the Selecao went on to produce one of their best performances at a m…

The Maracana will host next year s Copa Libertadores final, South American football governing body CONMEBOL has announced.

Rio de Janeiro s iconic ground saw off competition from seven stadiums, including five others in Brazil, to claim hosting rights for the showpiece match on November 21, 2020.

A number of other high-profile fixtures have previously been staged at the Maracana, including games at the 2014 World Cup, 2016 Olympics and 2019 Confederations Cup.

CONMEBOL also revealed on Thursday that the 2020 Copa Sudamericana will be played at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba, Argentina. 

¡La final de la 2020 se jugará en el estadio Maracanã, en Río de Janeiro!

— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@Libertadores)

…

Brighton have confirmed the signing of Georginio Rutter from Leeds United for a club-record fee.

The Seagulls activated his £40million release clause and the forward has signed a five-year contract with the Premier League side.

Rutter joined Leeds in January 2023, making 66 appearances in all competitions and netting eight goals.

He scored six of those in the Championship last season, though had the second-most shots of anyone in the team (122), behind only Crysencio Summerville.

His 15 assists last term were also the most of any Leeds player, while only Leif Davies provided more in the competition.

It was worth the wait. Georginio is a Seagull!

— Brighton Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC)

Fabian Hurzeler said: Georginio is a playe…