Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg are set to battle it out with Celtic to sign Czech defender Michal Kadlec.

The ambitious club are bankrolled by billionaire energy drinks magnate Dieter Mateschitz and are reported to be set to make audacious bids for Pavel Nedved and Ronaldo. They have recently appointed Giovanni Trapattoni as sports director and Lothar Matthaus as coach.

The club are confident that with the appointments and the calibre of player targeted, they can persuade Kadlec to reject Celtic and Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

Kadlec seems to prefer a move to Glasgow, but Celtic are concerned that they could be drawn into a bidding war, with the Parkhead club preferring to finance the £2 million fee in installments.

Ikedia's contract at AZ was till 2008.

The pacy Nigerian has failed to establish himself at AZ since his summer switch from RBC Roosendaal as he scored only a goal in the league.

He has also been dogged by injuries.

The 25-year-old winger was linked with a high-profile switch to Tottenham last summer.

Utrecht coach Foeke Booy admits striker Adil Ramzi will be sorely missed when he returns to parent club AZ Alkmaar  for the start of next season.

After scoring seven goals in 15 matches since joining Utrecht in January, the Moroccan international will start the new campaign under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal at Alkmaar.

Booy is full of praise for the frontman's contribution for his side, but understand's his ambition to ply his trade the highest level possible.

He told the club's official website: "His attacking impulses have strengthen our team for sure. He is very ambitious and wants to play at the international top.

"It's a pity that he leaves us but we must be real if you know what his ambition is."

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.

While Deijkers will be missed at the ceremony at the Evoluon building in Eindhoven, plenty of other PSV stars of 1978 will be there to make up the numbers. Among them will be Willy's twin brother René van de Kerkhof, Jan Poortvliet, Adri van Kraay and Kees Krijgh all eager to get their hands on the trophy again.

AZ Alkmaar coach Louis van Gaal is hoping his team can secure second place in the Eredivisie and regain some form with a victory at Heerenveen.

A point would be enough to claim the runners-up position, but after a goalless draw with FC Twente on Wednesday and a loss at Ajax three days earlier, Van Gaal wants his team to go into the Champions League play-offs on a high.

"Against Twente we did not play the football we can," he said. "Too many players did not reach their normal level.

"I hope that the team can recover, so that we can start the play-offs in a positive mood."

A win will also mean AZ would be likely to avoid Ajax in the play-offs, but to achieve that they will need to rediscover their scoring touch after failing to find the net in their last two matches.

"We still create the chances," said Van Gaal.

"We only have to realise that at this stage it is important to have the killer-instinct in front of goal if we want to get to the Champions League."

They face a Heerenveen team ravaged by injury.

Coach Gertjan Verbeek is missing eight players and is struggling to find a starting XI for the game.

With the upcoming play-offs in mind, Verbeek is worried.

"I hope that most of the injured players will be back in action for the play-offs, but I fear the worst," he said.

"Two or three injured players we can handle, but eight is really too much."

Alkmaar dominated the first half hour before allowing Feyenoord back into the match. Minutes before the interval Salomon Kalou hit the post and shortly after the break Patrick Paauwe did the same when he headed on a corner kick.

Twelve minutes into the second half Shota Arveladze broke the deadlock for the home side when Feyenoord goalkeeper Maikel Aerts dropped a corner and the Georgian netted from close range.

With five matches remaining PSV Eindhoven, after their 1-0 win over NEC Nijmegen on Saturday, are top with 73 points, nine above Alkmaar. Feyenoord are third with 63.

"We were able to pressurize a top team but that didn't result in chances because our final pass was not good enough," said Alkmaar's Louis van Gaal.

"Feyenoord came back into the match because we failed to keep the ball in midfield. After we opened the scoring we had several chances to seal victory and it is disappointing that we failed to do that."

"In the first half both teams had the initiative in phases but we played an excellent second half and created some chances," Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman told a news conference.

Juan Andreu Melli scored six minutes into extra time on Thursday and Real Betis advanced to the UEFA Cup last 16 despite losing 2-1 at AZ Alkmaar.

The Spaniards advanced 3-2 on aggregate after winning 2-0 in the first leg.

Melli hit a free kick that AZ 'keeper Henk Timmer couldn't hold for the decisive goal.

Alkmaar's Shota Arveladze opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he controlled a pass from Kenneth Perez to shoot from the top of the box.

AZ defender Kew Jaliens made it 2-0 when he jumped and volleyed Perez' free kick 10 minutes later.

AZ captain Denny Landzaat missed a penalty kick in just the fourth minute of the game.

Tarik Sektioui's volley for AZ in the 70th missed, and two minutes later he had a one-on-one chance that 'keeper Pedro Contreras blocked.

Melli's goal left AZ needing two goals to advance. Despite taking risks on defense, AZ's attacks in the final minutes rarely threatened.

AZ defender Tim De Cler was sent off for a second yellow card.

Feyenoord had the opportunity to secure the number two spot in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday.

However, NAC Breda shocked Feyenoord with its late scoring, and ended the game in a 3-3 draw.

Feyenoord was one point behind AZ Alkmaar tallying 55. After Sunday's match, both teams are now tied for second in point value, trailing powerhouse PSV with 60.

Salomon Kalou scored in the 7th minute to open up the board for Feyenoord early in the game. Anouar Diba tied the match 1-1, when he scored in the 24th minute. Kalou struck back 10 minutes later to give Feyenoord the lead before the interval.

Romeo Castelen was able to set a comfortable 2 point lead with his goal assisted by Dirk Kuijt. But Diba and Julian Jenner surprised Feyenoord's defense in the 90th minute and ended the game in a tie.

Capping off Sunday's Eredivisie matches: Ajax snuck by Den Haag 2-1; Groningen defeated Roosendaal, 2-1; and Utrecht and NEC finished in a 1-1 draw.

Iceland international Joey Gudjonsson will join AZ Alkmaar from English second division club Leicester City in July, the Dutch club said on Monday.

The 25-year-old midfielder agreed a four-year-contract and will leave Leceister when his contract expires.

Gudjonsson previously played in the Netherlands for MVV Maastricht and RKC Waalwijk before he moved to Spanish side Real Betis. In England he also played for Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.