Egypt star Ahmed Hassan signed a two-year deal with Belgian club Anderlecht on Tuesday for an undisclosed fee. Anderlecht revealed Hassan at a press conference on Wednesday, in which they insisted that he was the club's best deal in recent years, and presented him with the number 10 shirt. Anderlecht general manager Herman Van Holsbeeck introduced Hassan to the Belgian media and emphasized his pivotal role in Egypt's winning campaign in the African Cup of Nations (ACN), that took place earlier this year and in which he was awarded the top-scorer title, overcoming Ivorian star Didier Drogba and Cameroonian sensation Samuel Eto'o. “Hassan is one of the most prominent players to come to Anderlecht, we signed a great player,” Van Holsbeeck said. On the other hand, the 31-year-old midfielder, who played for Turkish side Besiktas for three season, expressed his happiness in signing for Anderlecht, saying that it was a “unique offer”. “I preferred Anderlecht's offer over other offers, they've been negotiating with me for a long time and they've made me an excellent offer,” Hassan said.
“Angerlecht is a winning club, and they make constant appearances in the UEFA Champions League, so why would I join a Premiership or La Liga club who only aim to end their seasons in 10th place,” he added. Asked about racism's impact on Hassan, Van Holsbeeck insisted that the player has eight years worth of European experience and that unlike former player Tarek Al-Saied, who failed to cope with the European audience and returned to Egypt, Hassan is much more experienced. “Don't worry about rasicm, Ahmed Hassan looks European, nobody will notice that he's not,” the Anderlecht general manager joked. Hassan also said that if he had waited a bit longer, he would've received better offers, but insisted that Anderlecht's persistence on signing him forced him to respect them and to join their ranks. The Egypt skipper concluded by commenting that getting the number 10 shirt was an honor for him, and that it was an addition responsibility in front of the club fans.
