The former Besiktas star admitted to the toughness of his former opponents, who are the only gate of reaching the group stages of the top European club competition.

"The last thing I wished for is to clash with Fenerbahce, they are a very tough side especially at home, where their fans provide massive support," Hassan told FilGoal.com.

"They possess a number of quality players like Roberto Carlos, Mateja Kezman and Alex, but I hope our young side will be able to prove their strength in Europe just like we did domestically last season."

The Belgian champions opened their league title defense with a hard-fought 1-0 win over newly-promoted Mechelen on Friday, and Hassan was satisfied with the start.

"I am pleased that we were off to a winning start against an ultra-defensive team, and I think the team will develop more in the upcoming weeks," he said.