Makaay to Munich

Deportivo agrees to sell Dutch striker to Bayern

Roy Makaay won the Golden Boot as Europe's top scorer last season. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

LA CORUNA, Spain (AP) -- Deportivo Coruna has agreed to sell goalscorer Roy Makaay to Bayern Munich, the Spanish club's president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro said Monday.

"An agreement has been reached in principle," Lendoiro said at a press conference at Deportivo's Riazor Stadium following his meeting with Makaay's agent Rob Jansen.

The Deportivo president said the deal still depended on Bayern confirming its acceptance of the terms of the transfer, once they were drawn up.

Lendoiro, who said he "wished Makaay all the best in German soccer," said he could give no further details until Bayern confirmed the deal.

Lendoiro reportedly rejected a 18 million ($20.5 million) offer from Bayern's vice president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and general director Uli Hoeness at a meeting in Madrid a month ago.

"It's been a long negotiation, involving weeks, even months," Lendoiro said, before Deportivo's preseason match with Mexican side America.

Deportivo criticized Bayern earlier Monday for announcing that Makaay had agreed to a four-year contract before Bayern had presented the Spanish club with a written offer.

Makaay, who previously played for Tenerife and Vitesse Arnhem, has scored 79 league goals in four seasons with Deportivo.

The Dutch international won the Golden Boot award for Europe's top scorer last season, after netting 29 goals in 38 league matches for Deportivo. He also scored nine times in last season's Champions League.

"I'm never going to forget the four magnificent years that I have spent at Deportivo. I have been waiting for the agreement for a long time. This afternoon my agent rang me to tell me about the agreement and I'm very happy," the news agency Efe quoted Makaay as saying Monday.

The striker added that he would undergo a routine medical checkup with Bayern on Tuesday and hoped to be presented by the German club in the evening.

Makaay, 28, always looked likely to depart Deportivo after announcing last season that he would not renew his contract when it expires in 2005.

"For me personally, it was clear from the start. I didn't want to extend my contract with La Coruna under any circumstances," Makaay told the Munich daily tz a week ago.

"My agent and I have clearly stated that I want to go to Bayern. For me German football is very competitive. Bayern plays in the same class as Real Madrid, Manchester United or the Italian top teams."

Bayern will hope Makaay can help it win its management's professed goal of the Champions League.

The German champion has only two fit strikers in Brazilian Giovane Elber and Peruvian Claudio Pizarro. Roque Santa Cruz, also highly regarded by the club, has endured a string of injuries.

America beats Deportivo on penalties

A CORUNA, Spain (AP) -- Mexico's America beat Deportivo Coruna 4-3 on penalties in the opening match of the Teresa Herrera tournament on Monday.

The teams played to a 2-2 draw over 90 minutes before a sparse crowd at Deportivo's Riazor Stadium.

America meets Uruguay's Nacional in the second game on Tuesday, with Deportivo and Nacional concluding the tournament the following day.

Deportivo opened the scoring in the 17th minute through a volley by Spanish international midfielder Juan Carlos Valeron.

A minute later, Uruguayan striker Sebastian Abreu, who is on loan to the Mexican club from Deportivo, equalized with a header. The home side restored the deficit in the 24th through defender Alvaro Ortiz's own goal.

The Mexican team battled back in the second half and its midfielder Ignacio Torres scored with a fierce shot in the 68th to force the match to penalties.

The first edition of the summer tournament, generally regarded as the most prestigious of the Spanish summer, was held in 1946.

 

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