Ahmed Hassan says his 2006-2007 busy calendar made him feel too exhausted to play his normal game, revealing that he asked Anderlecht manager Francois Vercauteren to give him some rest. "I feel drained," the Egypt captain told FilGoal.com via phone from Belgium. "Hamstring pains attack me and I won't be able to play 90 minutes normally if I didn't have a break for some time. "The manager was very understanding. I believe I will be given a break from action during the next few days." The 32-year-old midfielder almost didn't enjoy vacation this summer, as he ended the local season with Anderlecht on May20th and spent the following month in training camps and playing games with the Egyptian national team. Once the national duty was over, Hassan joined Anderlecht's pre-season camp then and played eight games in four weeks. "I took part in five league games, the Super Cup tie, and two Champions League encounters in one-month interval," he said. Hassan, a devoted Muslim, might face an uphill to climb in ten days when Ramadan -- the holy month of fasting-- begins. Muslims don't eat or drink from sunrise to sunset allover this month.
Hassan lifts the African Cup Although several Muslim players break fasting on matchdays, Hassan always refused the trend. Anderlecht lost to Turkey's Fenerbahce in the final qualifying round of the Champions League and won't be playing in the group stage this season. But Hassan said that despite exhaustion, he wished to continue his Champions League adventure like Anderlecht did last season. "It would have been an extra load, but I wanted to go for it,” he said. "Actually, the defeat frustrated me and triggered the physical collapse." Hassan is set to return to Egypt after his contract expires in the summer. He is tipped to join Zamalek after nine seasons in Europe. Watch Ahmed Hassan's best moments with Anderlecht in 2006-2007
