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Van der Vaart, Jansen set for Hamburg exit

BERLIN (Reuters) - Hamburg SV will not extend the contracts of Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart and full back Marcell Jansen beyond this season, the struggling Bundesliga club said on Saturday.

Hamburg captain Van der Vaart has had two spells at the club, playing for the former European champions between 2005-2008. He then returned in 2012 after spells at Real Madrid and Tottemhan Hotspur.

Jansen, a Germany international, has been at Hamburg since 2008.

"Rafael and Marcell are aware that we will not hold any contract talks with them," chairman Dietmar Beiersdorfer told the club website.

Both players are among the club's top earners with Hamburg battling relegation this season.

Beiersdorfer said van der Vaart could return to Hamburg after his active career end to take over a role at the club.

"Rafael is one of the best and most important players of the recent Hamburg past. We want to give him the chance to return after the ends of his playing career. We will discuss a possible position at the right time."

The 32-year-old midfielder has been struggling for form this season and has lost his starting spot.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)