Hamburg set deadline for Mahdavikia

IRIB - German first division football club Hamburger SV has issued an ultimatum to its Iranian striker Mehdi Mahdavikia to accept the club's final offer, news reports quoted Hamburg team manager Dietmar Beiersdorfer as saying Friday.

The ex-Pirouzi player must decide by the end of the Bundesliga winter break (January 31) whether he wants to accept the offer or whether the club will have to look for new alternatives.

Mahdavikia whose contract runs out next summer, has been linked to fellow German Bundesliga team Schalke 04 which has started a major effort to sign top players for next season.

Contract extension talks between Mahdavikia and HSV had earlier bogged down over the player's 3-million-euro salary demand.