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The best Finnish football player of all time, Jari Litmanen, has signed a contract with a team fighting for survival in the Bundesliga. The contract is for 18 months.
"I want to help the 'Hansa' team avoid relegation. It is a big challenge for me. I have never played in the Bundesliga before, so it will be a huge experience," - said the Finn about his new contract.
The 33-year-old striker, who won the Champions League with Ajax in the 1994/95 season, has been clubless since the end of 2004 after leaving the Finnish team "Lahti," where he started his professional career in 1987.
Throughout his career, Litmanen has also represented other clubs. Until last April, the player was back playing for the "Ajax" team, but the club officials, unhappy with the player's dedication to the team, terminated his 6-week contract.
J.Litmanen has also played 93 times for his country's national team. He is also included in the lineup of the Finnish national team for a friendly tournament in Cyprus next month.
Meanwhile, the successful Berlin "Hertha" club this season has signed an 18-month contract with Turkish national team striker Ilhan Mansiz.
The 29-year-old Turk, who left Istanbul's "Besiktas" team last summer, has been training in Germany since November and although he is still recovering from a serious knee injury, "Hertha" has decided that the player will be useful to the team in the future.
