Getafe striker Riki says Deportivo la Coruna could soon come calling to arrange a transfer.

Getafe coach Bernd Schuster has thrown his hat into the ring as a potential coach of Real Madrid, admitting he would jump at the chance to fill the vacant role at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The controversial German - a former Real player - said he had not received an offer, not even from current club president Ramon Calderon, who is also thought to be contemplating running in the elections for Real president.

But Schuster - who only signed a contract extension at the end of the Liga season - declared it would take no time at all for him to quit his current job and move across town.

"If Madrid called me today, I would go. Even my own president has said that he would agree," he said. "Calderon has not spoken to me, but if he is named president, he would be able to count on me."

Spanish media have recently linked Schuster to the vacant Espanyol and Zaragoza jobs, but the former Barcelona and Atletico player - who guided Getafe to ninth last season - insisted he had heard nothing.

"I don't understand why things about Espanyol and Zaragoza have been published, when I have not talked to anyone," said Schuster. "I'm not in a position to talk about those two sides, or to ask for more money.

"They have so much history in the Primera Division that they deserve respect. Anyway, for me, it's never going to be a question of money, it's all about the sporting aspect."

But Schuster could not resist adding he would attempt a sensational move to lure Barcelona starlet Lionel Messi and Milan playmaker Kaka to the Spanish capital if he did take over at Real.

"Messi would become a god at Real Madrid, because they don't have any players who can play down the left with his qualities, and he can also play up front," he said. "I would also like to see Kaka at Madrid, especially with Zidane leaving. He's a player who would be able to fill that void perfectly."

Meanwhile, another potential Real candidate, Michael Laudrup, has announced he and assistant John Jensen will quit current club Brondby at the end of their contracts in June.

Celta, who are assured of at least sixth place in the top flight and a spot in next season's UEFA Cup, have been one of the surprise packages this year.

Having won promotion last summer, the Galicians were expected to settle for a period of consolidation. But they have done much better than that, even threatening to claim a Champions League spot until a late slump saw the drop out of the top four.

They at least had the satisfaction of finishing with a win, Pablo Andres Contreras's 24th-minute goal earning the home side all three points against a Getafe team who finished with 10 men following the late dismissal of Mariano Pernia.

Celta bossed the first half but only had Contreras's goal to show for their efforts.

Fabian Canobbio had their first chance but the effort, which was set up by a David Silva throw in, was well saved by Luis Garcia.

The hosts' next opportunity resulted in the goal.

Gustavo Lopez whipped in a corner and Contreras got to the ball first to power a header past Luis Garcia.

Lopez almost created a second in first-half injury time but Canobbio shot wide from inside the penalty area.

The second half opened in similar fashion, with Celta on top.

Substitute Jonathan saw his effort saved by Luis Garcia before Lopez's free-kick crashed into the defensive wall.

It took 57 minutes for mid-table Getafe to register an effort on goal although it should have resulted in an equaliser.

Ivan Riki crossed for Daniel Guiza but his shot from inside the six-yard box was well smothered by Jose Manuel Pinto.

Celta survived the scare and almost made it 2-0 minutes later but David Silva's header was off target.

Pernia was to be an influential figure in the final half hour.

He came close to a goal on three occasions before picking up two yellow cards in five minutes late on.

His first chance, which came after 60 minutes, was blocked by the defence, the second saved by Pinto, and the third again kept out by the determination of the Celta back four.

Then came the second of his two indiscretions and the subsequent red.

Celta nearly capitalised on their numerical superiority in injury time but Jonathan was unable to make it 2-0.

By Daniel Kline

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1

NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)

Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2

Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)

Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3

Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)

Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4

Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)

A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5

College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)

Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6

Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)

Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7

Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)

Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

The UEFA Cup is handed over to the Dutch city of Eindhoven, and in preparation for hosting this season's final, golden memories of 1978 will come flooding back.

It was on 9 May 1978 that local side PSV Eindhoven established themselves as a major force in European football as they beat SC Bastia 3-0 at the Philips stadium - the venue for this season's final - to win the UEFA Cup, following a goalless draw in the first leg in Corsica two weeks earlier.

 By that time, PSV had already broken the cast-iron grip that the big clubs from the west of the Netherlands - Feyenoord and AFC Ajax - held on the Dutch title by winning the Eredivisie in 1974/75 and 1975/76, but in taking the UEFA Cup, they announced their presence to the whole continent.

With the final being contested over two legs in those days, PSV had not enjoyed an easy time in the opening fixture against Bastia. Heavy rainfall turned the first leg into a boring show. But the second leg, however, was much more one-sided, and with the elements no longer blocking their route to goal, PSV shone with Willy van de Kerkhof, Gerrie Deijkers and Willy van der Kuylen finding the target as they secured a famous victory in front of 27,000 fans.

With Feyenoord  and Ajax both having won major European competitions in the early 1970s, PSV were the third Dutch club to triumph in UEFA competition, and added to their trophy cabinet by winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1987/88 before reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2004/05.

The memories of that first success back in 1978 will be celebrated as 2004/05 UEFA Cup, against all the Sportsbooks odds. Winners of last year’s cup PFC CSKA Moskva hand the trophy to Eindhoven, with goal scorers Van de Kerkhof and Van der Kuylen in attendance. Sadly Deijkers died of heart failure at the age of 56 back in October 2003.

Deijkers' story was an odd one. He had played as a defender in previous seasons but coach Kees Rijvers - who will also be at the handover - decided to hand him a chance to become a striker as PSV were having attacking problems in 1977/78. He went on to score 18 league goals and six in the UEFA Cup that season.

Press reports in Spain have linked Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy with a switch to Real Madrid Football Club. The striker reportedly feels his time at Old Trafford is coming to an end and after five years at the club, would welcome a move.

For the first time since his move from PSV Eindhoven in 2001, the Dutch International has found himself dropped to the bench for long periods. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson chose to deploy Louis Saha in attack throughout much of spring, and even in the Carling Cup Final, in which United eased past Wigan 4-0.

Van Nistelrooy is rumoured to have alerted Real Madrid to his willingness to move away from Old Trafford, though his age he will be 30 in July as well as his susceptibility to injury could prove obstacles in any move to the Bernabeu.

Veljko Paunovic scored twice for Getafe on Saturday to give a 2-1 victory over Malaga in the Spanish league. Osasuna’s Savo Milosevic scored the decisive goal in his team’s 2:1 away win on Sunday against Alaves.

Another double by Paunovic
Paunovic's deflected drive opened the scoring at Malaga's La Rosaleda stadium in the 19th minute, although substitute the football player Pablo Counago equalized early in the second half of the game with an angled shot. After Malaga had defender Fernando Sanz ejected for a foul in the 85th, Paunovic fired Getafe's winning goal in injury time to leave Malaga winless in 10 matches and nine points from safety. Getafe, which has won three straight matches (Paunovic scored 4 goals in two straight matches), rose to ninth place with 46 points.

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o scored two goals as Barcelona rallied from a goal behind to

defeat Getafe 3-1 and near a second straight Spanish soccer title.

Former Barcelona player Nano Macedo had given the visitors a fourth-minute lead today before Anibal Matellan put the ball into his own net to tie the match after 21 minutes. Eto'o struck twice in the second half.

Barcelona, Spain's second-most-successful team after Real Madrid, has 67 points from 29 of 38 games. Madrid has 14 fewer points and has played one a less match. Valencia and Osasuna are a further point back.

Madrid, which hasn't scored in three games, is at Real Zaragoza tomorrow. Valencia hosts Villarreal and Osasuna is at home against Real Sociedad.

Lyon remains on course for three titles this season after beating Bastia 1-0 to reach the quarterfinals of the French Cup. Gerard Houllier's team is also winnig the French league and is in the last eight of Europe's Champions League.

D.C. United got off to a promising start yesterday in its first game against a Spanish opponent. But after taking an early lead against Getafe, United yielded three consecutive goals and lost the exhibition, 3-1, to the mid-level La Liga club at Coliseum Alfonso Perez in Madrid.

Lucio Filomeno scored in the 10th minute for United, which is preparing for its MLS season opener against the MetroStars on April 2 at RFK Stadium.

Jaime Moreno, left, goes for the ball against Getafe's Fabio Celestini in an exhibition match. It was D.C. United's first game against a Spanish club. (By B. Echavarri -- Associated Press)   3. Tag This Article

Getafe, midway through its season and in better physical condition than United, is in 11th place among 20 teams in Spain with an 8-10-7 record. This is its second straight year in the first division after gaining promotion following the 2003-04 season and easily avoiding relegation last year.

"We started pretty good, but then we made some mistakes," United Coach Peter Nowak said in a phone interview after the game. "Where we are in preseason, it was a great experience for these guys."

United, amid a two-week preseason tour in Spain, also has closed-door scrimmages scheduled against Atletico Madrid's reserves and second division soccer club Rayo Vallecano before returning to Washington late next week.

United played well against Getafe in the first half but lacked cohesiveness after the break as the teams made several substitutions.

Filomeno, an Argentine forward who joined the club late last season, threatened twice in the first few minutes before one-timing Josh Gros's cross to give United a 1-0 lead. He also had an apparent goal disallowed by an offside infraction just before halftime.

Atletico Madrid wins over Valencia to land Getafe winger Mariano Pernia.

The Argentine-born midfielder is a candidate for Spain's World Cup squad as he waits on his Spanish papers this month.

Valencia baulked at Getafe's £2.5 million asking price for Pernia, so opening the door for Atletico. Getafe president Angel Torres met with Atletico officials yesterday to seal an agreement for the football player.

At least two Atletico players will go to Getafe  as part of the deal, with midfielder Gabi a likely makeweight.

Getafe face resurgent Alaves on Sunday knowing they will have a tough task against a side looking to turn their season around.

Bernd Schuster's ninth-placed European chasers take on an Alaves Soccer Club side who have shown signs of life after dragging themselves off the foot of the table with two wins from their last three outings.

After a spectacular start to the season, Getafe have endured a tough January of highs in the 5-0 win over Espanyol and lows in worrying defeats to lowly Cadiz and Athletic Bilbao.

Although they remain within striking distance of the European places, Getafe, in only their second-ever season in the top flight, have just one objective on their radar - survival in the Primera Liga.

"If we can beat Alaves it is another massive step towards securing another season in this league because it would take us past the psychological barrier of the 30-point mark," said Getafe defender Ruben Pulido.

"It would also put more points between us and another direct rival, and give us the advantage on goal difference against them. There is more than just three points at stake.

"We have to be confident and go out to face them really motivated like we have done against the top sides, against whom we've played well this season.

"Playing teams who you are competing with directly are the hardest kind of games and we know Alaves will be highly motivated after a couple of good results recently."

Getafe are without suspended centre-back David Belenguer, with 19-year-old Brazilian Jaja Coelho pushing for a start following his move earlier this month.

Getafe have accepted Parma's offer for the forward, who has also agreed personal terms with the Italians. However, Riki had win the weekend to ponder the switch and Torres says: "He's told me that he doesn't intend to leave us. But he could still change his mind."

Torres also said: "We won't negotiate the sale of Riki. If Parma want him, they must pay his buyout clause - £4 million."

Riki's agent, Alejandro Camano, has revealed no less than ten clubs have been in touch this month about the young striker. Manchester United and Liverpool are amongst European heavyweights interested in Riki