Turkey's Fenerbahce to play MTK in CL qualifying

Last season's quarterfinalist Fenerbahce was drawn Tuesday to begin its 2008-09 Champions League campaign against Hungarian champion MTK.

A total of 42 clubs from across Europe were included in the draw for the first two qualifying rounds of the continent's most prestigious club competition.

Fenerbahce was one of the most glamorous names in Friday's draw after finishing second in the Turkish league last season and reaching the last eight of the Champions League for the first time.

It lost 3-2 on aggregate against eventual runner-up Chelsea, and said last week it had reached an agreement with Spain's European Championship-winning coach Luis Aragones, after former Brazil international Zico left the club last month.

"We are stronger than all teams in the second qualifying round," Sekip Mosturoglu, vice-president of Fenerbahce soccer club, was quoted by the Anatolian Agency as saying.  Â

Mosturolgu said he believed that Fenerbahce would advance to the next round.

Fenerbahce will play the first leg at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul against MTK on July 29 or 30 before traveling to Budapest for the return. The Hungarians were entered direct into the second round.

A third qualifying round is played in August when club's who finished third and fourth last season in Europe's biggest leagues will join the competition.