Football
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Rafael van der Vaart not panicking about his Hamburg future

Rafael van der Vaart remains calm about his future, despite his Hamburg contract due to expire in the summer and the club having yet to offer him a new deal.

Van der Vaart, 31, joined the Bundesliga side from Tottenham for a second time in 2012. However, the captain has been unable to stop the club's demise, and has at times been singled out as one of the reasons for their fall into the lower regions of the table.

Earlier this season, the Netherlands international appeared to have lost his place in Hamburg starting XI, but towards the end of the Hinrunde -- the first half of the Bundesliga campaign -- he returned to form in a deeper midfield position.

However, with his contract expiring this summer, the club have yet to signal that they are interested in prolonging it, Van der Vaart told reporters on Wednesday.

"I quite often talk to Didi [Hamburg CEO Dietmar Beiersdorfer], but nothing concrete has been discussed," Van der Vaart was quoted as saying by kicker. "Everything's open. What happens after June is not in my hands. But I don't feel any pressure. I am totally relaxed."

Van der Vaart is one of the big earners at Hamburg -- reportedly receiving an annual salary of 3.5 million euros -- and would at least have to take a huge pay cut in order to sign a new contract.

While the midfielder hinted at the option of doing that earlier this season, Hamburger Morgenpost claims that his latest statement is a clear sign that he is set to leave the club in the summer.

"The maestro on his farewell tour," read the paper's headline on Thursday.

Kicker added that Van der Vaart, who contemplated a switch to Italy earlier this season, wants to continue to play at the highest level to revive his international career.

Van der Vaart missed the 2014 World Cup through injury, and has not yet won a call-up since.

"I am in great shape, and want to play for the national team again," Van der Vaart said. "It's a shame that there were no international matches in December, I was having quite a run."

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