Tuesday, 18th February, 2014
Rafael van der Vaart has pledged his loyalty to crisis club Hamburg, declaring he will not abandon ship if they are relegated from the Bundesliga.
Hamburg have just sacked former Holland coach Bert van Marwijk, replacing him with ex-Hannover boss Mirko Slomka, in a desperate bid to avoid the drop.
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The weekend defeat which did for Van Marwijk, 4-2 away at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig, has left Hamburg second bottom with 16 points from 21 games.
But even if the club do go down, captain Van der Vaart, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, will not quit.
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"Yes, I'd play in the 2. Bundesliga", he told Spiegel.
"If I have to help the club gain promotion, I'd do it", he added.
Relegation would end a proud record for Hamburg, with the club never having been relegated from the Bundesliga throughout their existence.
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