MADRID, 1 November 2003 — Atletico Madrid produced their best performance of the season as they swept to a 4-0 win over an out-of-sorts Real Sociedad in the Primera Liga at the Calderon on Thursday.

Greek striker Demis Nikolaidis put his side ahead with a well-taken goal on 19 minutes, Fernando Torres added two more after the break, one from the penalty spot, and fans’ favorite Diego Simeone weighed in with a fourth late in the game.

The win propelled Atletico into eighth place in the Primera Liga, level on points with seventh-placed Real Betis and one ahead of Sevilla and Sociedad.

Deportivo Coruna retained top spot on Wednesday despite slipping to a 2-0 defeat at home to Real Mallorca after rivals Valencia were held to a 2-2 draw at home to an improving Celta Vigo.

The Galicians lead the table on 21 points, just one ahead of last season’s champions Real Madrid, who drew 0-0 at Real Zaragoza on Tuesday, and third-placed Valencia.

After an evenly balanced opening quarter of an hour it was Atletico who began to put together some dangerous-looking attacks with young forward Torres testing out the Sociedad defense. And it was the 19-year-old who began the move that led to the opening goal when he launched a long pass to midfielder Jorge, who snapped the ball to the feet of Nikolaidis on the edge of the area. The former AEK Athens player jinked past Sociedad keeper Sander Westerveld and curled a left-foot shot round defender Bjorn Tore Kvarme and into the net to score his second goal in two outings.

Sociedad appeared a mere shadow of the side that ran Real Madrid so close for the title last season and only threatened the Atletico goal when Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci swept a swirling free kick over the bar just after the half-hour mark.

The visitors looked a little sharper at the start of the second half but it was Atletico who ended up scoring when Torres blasted in from the spot after he had been brought down by Westerveld when he tried to check past him in the area.

Eight minutes later he took his tally for the season to five when he netted with a brilliant angled header following a pin-point cross from Jorge.

It was left to experienced Argentine defender Simeone to complete a memorable win when he burst into the area to fire home a close range header from a corner 10 minutes from time.

Barthez Cannot Move to Marseille — FIFA

In Paris, FIFA has refused to allow Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez to move to Olympique Marseille on loan, a FIFA spokesman said on Thursday.

The decision by the players’ committee of world soccer’s ruling body was made “on the basis of the transfer regulations which say transfers can only be registered during the transfer window” which opens again in January.

“The committee looked at the case and rejected the request,” the spokesman said.

Marseille had said they wanted the nine-month loan of the France keeper to be completed by Oct. 31 and had asked for a special dispensation from FIFA.

The French club has several important league games before January and Barthez can play only league games, and not in the Champions League, because he is still registered with United for European matches.

The spokesman said the French football federation had been informed of the decision and it would be formally announced the next day. “I have not been informed of anything officially by FIFA,” said Marseille president Christophe Bouchet.

Marseille had asked for permission to sign Barthez, number three at United, because their reserve goalkeeper Cedric Carasso is out for several months with a knee injury. But from the outset FIFA officials made it clear they were unwilling to make an exception for any player as it would set a precedent. The international transfer window is in only its second year of operation.

Barthez, a World Cup winner in 1998, needs to play first team soccer to guarantee his place in Jacques Santini’s French squad for Euro 2004 — France are defending champions.