Reasons why Guti didn't fulfill his potential at Real Madrid
Real Madrid is a football institution that has had some of the best players of all time and they have become one of the most celebrated teams in the history of sports as a whole. Therefore, when a person thinks of a player who has had hundreds of appearances for them, it is safe to assume said player is a massive talent... and then there is the case of Jose Maria Gutierrez, most commonly known as Guti.
Guti in action (@MaxiSports - Dreamstime.com)
So, why a footballer who was formed in Real Madrid when he was eight years old, and who was part of the first team from 1995 to 2010, winning everything at club level, isn't considered a legend? What went wrong for Guti? Let's find out.
Always the backup and the short-term fix
One thing that a lot of people need to understand about Guti's problems at Real Madrid is the fact he was never the first choice during most periods of his career. He was often seen as a backup from the bench or as a short-term fix when there were injuries or issues with the squad's structure.A very good example of that was the 2000/01 season when striker Fernando Morientes got injured and manager Vicente Del Bosque chose to put Guti in that role. It is worth pointing out that Guti was a creative midfielder, perhaps perceived as an old-school, more punkish version of Martin Odegaard, so playing him as a false nine of sorts was a very peculiar experiment from Del Bosque.
However, Guti did excel in that position and scored 14 goals that season (the best one in terms of goals scored for him), although he couldn't come back to the midfield position as Madrid signed Luis Figo the following summer. And couldn't go back to being a striker because Morientes had returned and the club signed Ronaldo in the summer of 2002.
So, when it came to his role in the squad, Guti rarely had a moment to play in his natural position as a regular starter. However, there is more to his problems than just that.
Fabio Capello was one of the coaches Guti had
His own mentality
When Italian manager Fabio Capello came back to Real Madrid in the summer of 2006, he mentioned in one of his first press conferences that he was going to build the team around Guti. However, as the season progressed, he backtracked on this not out of inconsistency but rather because he realized he couldn't rely on Guti.Another major reason the Spaniard never managed to settle as a starter at Madrid was his lack of consistency as a player. Guti's work-rate and mentality were always questioned by the Madrid faithful and the press as he could be unplayable one day and the worst player on the pitch the next one.
Furthermore, despite having a playing style that was classy and sophisticated, Guti had a very mean streak and could often get himself sent off because of aggressive fouls during the matches. He was also a conflictive person in the dressing room from time to time and had a bad habit of constant partying and drinking that took a toll on his profits.
There were several small cases like these that only added up as time went on in his career, which is part of the reason a club of Madrid's stature couldn't rely on him. That is a key aspect that made him a bit of a luxury player at the club.
The nature of Real Madrid as a club
Real Madrid is a very unique case among big clubs in the sense that they always prioritize having the best players and winning in an effective manner. Therefore, when a player is not performing, they are quickly replaced. That is a major reason why most of their club legends have never retired there.In that regard, Guti was at a club where there was constant change of personnel and there was also a desire to bring the best players. Florentino Perez's arrival to the club's presidency in 2000 started the Galactico project and thus came the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and David Beckham, among many others.
Guti stayed but his minutes were diminished and often had to adapt. However, there was also the demand to win and Guti as a starter didn't always equal having more chances of success. This is a mix of the two previous reasons but it does add to the explanation of why he is so divisive among Real Madrid fans.
Conclusion
Guti played 542 matches across all competitions in Real Madrid from 1995 to 2010, winning everything at club level and then leaving to play with Turkish giants Besiktas for two more years before retiring. While this may sound like the career of an absolute legend of the game, the overall feeling is that Guti never lived up to his full potential.He was, at the end of the day, a very talented squad player who was helpful to the team when giving opportunities here and there. However, when a person considers his career as a whole, there is a feeling he could have been a lot more.
Ronaldo Nazario said Guti was the most talented footballer he played with at Real Madrid. Look at the names he played with.
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