Rutten reeling at Schalke's rotten luck

Fred Rutten conceded that the UEFA Champions League third qualifying draw "could have been better" for FC Schalke 04 as they prepare to meet Club Atlético de Madrid.

All-star cast
In his first European game since leaving FC Twente, the Dutch coach has the unenviable task of taking on the side that finished fourth in Spain's Primera División last season, with Javier Aguirre's squad boasting top-class talent in the form of Diego Forlán, José Antonio Reyes, Tomáš Ujfaluši and Grégory Coupet. The first leg is scheduled to be played in Gelsenkirchen on 12/13 August.

Head start
Appointed as the long-term replacement for Mirko Slomka during the summer, Rutten conceded that he would have preferred an easier introduction to European competition with his new club. "The draw certainly could have been better for us," the 45-year-old said. "We will monitor them to prepare for the matches. In the first leg we'll have to get into a good position for the return."

'A hammer blow'
Team general manager Andreas Müller was even less positive about the prospect of taking on Atlético, describing the outcome of Friday's draw in Nyon as "a hammer blow" for his club. "They are the best team we could have come up against in this round," added Müller. "However, I am sure Atlético would have preferred another opponent. This is the kind of fixture you would see in the last 16 or the quarter-finals."

Philosophical line
Atlético president Enrique Cerezo took a rather more philosophical line after learning of his side's upcoming opponents. "All of the teams are difficult and when there is a draw like this you have to face the rival that fate hands you," he said. "We've been given a very strong German team but in any case we are going to give it our all. Most people say that it's better to play the second leg at home."

'So are we'
Coach Aguirre added: "We are a team that is growing and working. We have signed good players and have been working for the past two years to reach the very top level. We're going to check if [Manuel] Neuer is going to be fit as he's a great goalkeeper and that could make a difference. They have two or three important Croatian players. I think that [Ivan] Rakitić is also injured. Rafinha is in Beijing like [Sergio] Kun [Agüero]. They have signed [Jefferson] Farfán who is a great attacker while they also have [Halil] Altıntop. They're a tough team but so are we."