José María Gutiérrez Hernández (born 31 October 1976), known as Guti, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, and is currently a manager.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Guti
Guti in action for Real Madrid in 2008
Personal information
Full name José María Gutiérrez Hernández[1]
Date of birth (1976-10-31) 31 October 1976 (age 48)[1]
Place of birth Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1986–1994 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1995 Real Madrid C 3 (0)
1995–1996 Real Madrid B 26 (11)
1995–2010 Real Madrid 387 (46)
2010–2011 Beşiktaş 23 (7)
Total 439 (64)
International career
1995 Spain U18 4 (1)
1996–1998 Spain U21 8 (1)
1999–2005 Spain 13 (3)
Managerial career
2013–2018 Real Madrid (youth)
2018–2019 Beşiktaş (assistant)
2019–2020 Almería
Medal record
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner1998 Romania
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
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During his career, he played almost exclusively for Real Madrid – appearing in 542 official games and serving as vice-captain – helping the club to win 15 trophies, most notably three Champions League titles and five La Liga championships.[3] He also competed professionally in Turkey, with Beşiktaş.

Guti played 13 times with Spain, making his debut in 1999.

Club career

Real Madrid

Born in Torrejón de Ardoz, Community of Madrid, Guti began playing for Real Madrid's cantera in 1986, initially as a striker but being later moved to midfield, and remained there for the vast majority of his career. On 2 December 1995 he made his first-team debut, in a 4–1 home win against Sevilla FC;[4] he finished the season with one goal in nine appearances.[5][1]

Guti added two trophies to his cabinet in 1997, La Liga and the Supercopa de España, playing 17 competitive games during the campaign. In 1997–98 he helped the Merengues lift the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, while the player himself added the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

1999–2000 started badly for Guti: struggling with the responsibility of replacing Clarence Seedorf, he was sent off for kicking a fallen adversary in a home fixture against Real Sociedad.[6] This negative trait was often recurrent, as he was given his marching orders eight times during his career in the league alone.[7] In the season, in which he also captured the Champions League, he scored six goals in 28 games.[1] The following year he had his best individual input, netting 14 times and playing mostly as a striker due to injuries to Fernando Morientes, and contributing greatly to the team's 27th league title and subsequently another domestic Supercup.[8]

Guti totalled eight goals in 63 games from 2001 to 2003, contributing three in nine matches as the 2001–02 Champions League ended in conquest.[1] After the purchase of Ronaldo in summer 2002 he returned to midfield, and his scoring rate went down drastically.

Guti had his lowest season in terms of scoring in the 2004–05 season, as he failed to find the net for the first time in seven years with the first team;[1] he only managed one official goal, in an international against San Marino in February 2005. In 2005–06, he played 43 games and netted six times (four in the league and two in European competition).[1]

Thumb
Guti executing a pass during a 2010 game against Athletic Bilbao

With the election of Ramón Calderón as club president and his subsequent vow to bring A.C. Milan's Brazilian star Kaká to Real Madrid, Guti's future at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium appeared insecure. He was linked with a move away to cross-town rivals Atlético Madrid but, in the end, decided to stay with Real while Kaká stayed in Italy.[9]

With Zinedine Zidane retired, Guti found himself as the creative playmaker for the 2006–07 campaign, his preferred position. His excellent short and through pass abilities, especially a performance in a 3–2 home win against Sevilla on 6 May 2007 in which he played just 32 minutes from the bench,[10] contributed to many of the goals which helped Real Madrid become league champions for the 30th time.[11]

On 10 February 2008, Guti scored two goals and provided four assists in a home game against Real Valladolid, for which he was named Player of the match[12]– his team won the game 7–0 and ultimately lifted another champions trophy. On 14 September he netted their 5,000th league goal, in a 4–3 win over CD Numancia.[13]

In 2009–10, already with Kaká on board, Guti still managed to appear significantly in the early stages, netting twice in the league.[14][15] However, in late October, following the 4–0 shock defeat at AD Alcorcón in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, he allegedly insulted coach Manuel Pellegrini at half-time, being then left out of the playing squads for a lengthy period;[16] after being reinstated he suffered with some injuries[17] but, due to the Brazilian also having physical problems, managed to appear regularly until the season's end.[18]

Beşiktaş

Thumb
Guti playing for Beşiktaş in December 2010

On 25 July 2010, Guti left Real Madrid after nearly 25 years of service;[19] he said: "I have an offer from Beşiktaş JK, but I haven't decided yet".[20] The deal was concluded the following day, with the player signing a two-year contract.[21][22] He started in his first competitive match for the Istanbul-based club, assisting in the game's only goal against Bucaspor.[23]

Guti contributed to Beşiktaş' victory against Galatasaray SK with one goal and one assist on 28 November 2010; it was the team's first win at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium in six years.[24] On 11 May 2011, he started as they won the Turkish Cup against İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor on penalties (4–3, 2–2 after extra time); it was the first domestic cup of his professional career.[25]

Guti was deemed surplus to requirements at Beşiktaş for 2011–12, following the appointment of new manager Carlos Carvalhal.[26] On 15 November 2011, the 35-year-old was released.[27]

International career

A Spain international since 5 May 1999 (Spain–Croatia, 3–1),[28] Guti nevertheless failed to appear in any tournament's final stage for his country, winning a total of 13 caps in approximately six years.[29]

Previously, he won the UEFA European Under-18 Championship in 1995,[30] followed by the under-21 one in 1998.[31]

Coaching career

Guti announced his retirement from football on 21 September 2012, and said "I'm going to train to become a sporting director or a coach and I'd like to train youngsters... I'd really like to coach the Real Madrid youth team. That's my dream."[32] He started working as a manager in 2013, going on to work with Real Madrid's youths for several years.[33]

On 4 July 2018, Guti was named Şenol Güneş's assistant at former club Beşiktaş.[34] On 5 November 2019, he was appointed head coach of Spanish Segunda División's UD Almería.[35] The following February, he offered to resign and to refund his salary if rumours that he attended a nightclub with players after a defeat could be proven;[36] on 26 June, he was sacked after a 0–1 home defeat to AD Alcorcón[37] and replaced by Mário Silva.[38]

Style of play

Originally a striker, Guti later developed into a talented playmaker, who was known in particular for his vision, technique, creativity, passing range and ability to provide assists for teammates; he also possessed an eye for goal courtesy of his ability to make late runs into the box. A versatile player, he was usually deployed as an attacking midfielder behind the forwards, which was his preferred position, but was also capable of playing as a second striker, a winger or in a defensive midfield role as a deep-lying playmaker.[10][39][40][41]

Despite his talent, Guti was known to be injury prone and also had a controversial character, which along with his turbulent personal life off the pitch led him to have difficulties with several of his managers throughout his career. He was also accused by certain pundits of being inconsistent and of having a poor work-rate.[42]

Personal life

Guti married Arancha de Benito, a Spanish television celebrity, on 22 June 1999. The couple divorced after almost ten years of marriage and two children, Zayra and Aitor, but remained close friends;[43] on 14 July 2016, he married Argentine TV presenter Romina Belluscio, who gave birth to his youngest son Enzo in 2013.[44]

Guti's cousin, Javi Hernández, also played youth football for Real Madrid.[45]

Other ventures

Guti played himself in two motion pictures, Torrente 3: El Protector and Goal II: Living the Dream.[46] He also appeared in a 2005 documentary/movie about Real Madrid called Real, The Movie.[47] He was a judge on the 2013 Spanish version of Celebrity Splash! on Antena 3.[48]

Career statistics

Club

More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[49][50]
Club Season League National cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Madrid C 1994–95 Segunda División B 2020
1995–96 1010
Total 3000000030
Real Madrid B 1995–96 Segunda División 26112611
Real Madrid 1995–96 La Liga 91000091
1996–97 1403000170
1997–98 171102020221
1998–99 2814240363
1999–2000 2864110130458
2000–01 321400124204618
2001–02 2947693104613
2002–03 34432155225413
2003–04 262819020453
2004–05 3100080390
2005–06 3344072446
2006–07 3010070371
2007–08 323417020454
2008–09 183106020273
2009–10 2621031303
Total 387464013991616254277
Beşiktaş 2010–11 Süper Lig 22763913711
2011–12 10002131
Total 237631124012
Career total 4396446161101816261189
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    International

    More information National team, Year ...
    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Spain[51] 199910
    200020
    200100
    200231
    200341
    200420
    200511
    Total133
    Close
    Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Guti goal.
    More information No., Date ...
    List of international goals scored by Guti [51]
    No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
    112 October 2002Carlos Belmonte, Albacete, Spain Northern Ireland2–03–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
    212 February 2003Son Moix, Palma, Spain Germany3–13–1Friendly
    39 February 2005Juegos Mediterráneos, Almería, Spain San Marino4–05–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification
    Close

    Managerial statistics

    As of match played 25 June 2020
    More information Team, Nat ...
    Managerial record by team and tenure
    Team Nat From To Record Ref
    G W D L GF GA GD Win %
    Almería Spain 5 November 2019 26 June 2020 229583524+11040.91 [52]
    Total 229583524+11040.91
    Close

    Honours

    Player

    Real Madrid

    Beşiktaş

    Spain U18

    Spain U21

    Individual

    Manager

    Real Madrid youth

    References

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