Hamburg will not offer contract extension to Rafael van der Vaart

One of the most prolific careers ever witnessed at the Volksparkstadion will come to an end upon completion of the Bundesliga campaign.

On Saturday, Hamburger SV CEO Dietmar Beiersdorfer announced that Rafael van der Vaart will not receive a contract extension at the end of the season and will join Marcell Jansen as a free agent.

"Rafael and Marcell know that we are not going to hold any talks with them over contract extensions," Beiersdorfer said, as translated by Sky Sports.

The news is likely conflicting for supporters of Hamburg, as Van der Vaart is something of a cult icon with the club but is also a shell of the player he was five years ago.

It's possible that the Dutch midfielder - who has scored 66 goals in 192 appearances for Hamburg through two separate spells - returns to the Volksparkstadion in some other capacity once he decides to hang up the cleats.

"Yes, we've spoken about that," Beiersdorfer said. "Rafael is one of the best and most significant players in Hamburg's recent history. "We want to give him the opportunity to return here after his playing career. We'll discuss what sort of role that could be at the given time."

Hamburg sits 16th in the Bundesliga table and are facing a relegation battle as the league enters its final matchdays of the season.