Zinnbauer: "Van der Vaart is among the best in Europe"

Soon-to-be Hamburger SV coach, if media reports are be believed, spoke about his captain Rafael van der Vaart and his contract situation.

"Rafa enjoys no special status." said Josef Zinnbauer of Rafael van der Vaart, "Rafa is our captain and together with Valon Behrami, they are our leading players. To me he is among the best in Europe."

"Our system will suit Rafael. He is a class man. Rafa is very important for us." Zinnbauer continued: "I had Rafa in the changing room at half-time during BVB game, after the advised me to bring him there. Although he did not play, he jumped into my arms after the game with the joy of victory. That came from the heart. This is something I've never seen a player of his class."

"For him (van der Vaart), these are two extremely important weeks now. He can work closely with the team and for the first time under the new coach," said the new HSV sporting director Peter Knäbel, who echoed Zinnbauer's statements. "Rafael van der Vaart is a world class player who can decide games." 

However, Zinnbauer was keen to emphasise his focus on the team as a whole: "Everyone always has to work hard for their colleagues and in every game. We need to achieve this. Now I think day and night about the upcoming match against Hoffenheim. So far we have taken a step forward in every game. Now we need to follow this in the next game."

Van der Vaart has been absence for the whole of September and has missed Hamburg's recent upturn in form. He is set to return against Hoffenheim and after a goal and an assist, in the DFB-Pokal, earlier in the campaign, he will want to put the injury problems behind him. 

Quotes from kicker and BILD.