AMSTERDAM, March 29 (Reuters) Ajax Amsterdam are not extending the contract of forward Jari Litmanen beyond this season, the club said on Monday. 'We deplore this decision but unfortunately due to physical problems he was not able to bring what everyone had hoped for,' manager Arie van Eijden said in a statement. Finnish international Litmanen has been plagued by injuries since joining Ajax for the second time in 2002 from Liverpool. His first spell with the Dutch club was from 1992 to 1999 when he left for Barcelona. But Litmanen, widely seen as Finland's best ever footballer, said he wanted to continue his playing career. 'I will not continue at Ajax as a player. I probably won't remain in any capacity with Ajax in the near future. In principle I want to continue playing,' Litmanen was quoted as saying in Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. The 33-year-old is Ajax's all-time top scorer in European matches with 24 goals and was a member of the team that won the Champions League in 1995. He injured his ankle during training earlier this month on the comeback from a calf problem. Finnish media speculated Litmanen could return to Finland and play for his friend Harri Kampman at Veikkausliiga side FC Lahti, where he started his professional career in the late 1980s. 'We have talked about Jari's return to Finland and to FC Lahti,' Kampman told Ilta-Sanomat. 'Jari wants to be in super condition when the World Cup qualifying starts in August. In Finland he would get many games in before the qualifying, and games are exactly what Jari needs,' Kampman said. -- 4000 Rainy Nights 4000 Nights I'd be with you 4000 Rainy Nights with you --

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