Borussia Monchengladbach director of sport Max Eberl would welcome the chance to take on the club's former goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Champions League next season, even if that would endanger the Bundesliga club's chances of progressing.
Gladbach return to European football's elite club competition next season after falling agonisingly close to qualifying three years ago, when defeat in the playoff saw them instead drop into the Europa League.
By virtue of finishing third behind Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg last season, the Foals automatically enter in the group stage, but their lack of experience means they can expect a low seeding.
That in turn could see them drawn into a challenging group, potentially including the defending champions.
"It's certainly going to be a big challenge,'' Eberl told kicker magazine. "But meeting the holders Barcelona and renewing acquaintances with Marc-Andre ter Stegen would be fantastic."
Ter Stegen left Gladbach -- the club where he made his breakthrough with 108 appearances -- just a year ago.
Last Saturday, he was on the field in Berlin lifting the Champions League trophy aloft.
"He did great things for Borussia and I was certain he would do great things for Barcelona too," added Eberl, who has set his side the target of remaining in Europe going into 2016 -- which would mean finishing third in the group and dropping into the Europa League would not be a calamity.
With Gladbach likely to be among the fourth group of seeds, that would still represent a success for the North-Rhine Westphalian club and the Bundesliga, who sent four teams into the last 16 of the Champions League last season.