Guti : The Overlooked Galactico
Few nicknames in sport are as iconic as the term popularized by Real Madrid hierarchy and supporters, to refer to their ensemble of footballers with other-worldly talent in the 2000s: “Galacticos”.
This term, which is Spanish for galactics- a reference to these players’ star status, brings forth memories for some, of watching Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Roberto Carlos, Figo, Beckham and other legendary players grace the Santiago Bernabéu and other European stadiums in their conquests. One such player’s legacy seems to be mostly lost to the sands of the hourglass though, that is none other than José María Gutiérrez Hernández, also known more widely as Guti.
During his first-team career spanning around 17 years, almost exclusively at Spanish juggernauts Real Madrid, Hernández won fifteen (15) major titles; most notably he won three (3) Champions League titles and five (5) La Liga titles, most of which he made good contributions to.
A possible reason that his contribution tends to be overlooked in this era was the fact that he didn’t start his career at “Los Blancos” as a superstar signing, with notoriety and status as one of the game’s best like Zidane or Figo. He started in the club’s youth academy system from age 8, through cantera and the C and B teams until he earned promotion to the first team in December of 1995, playing in a 4–1 home routing of Spanish rivals Sevilla.
Although he may remember that season fondly, being his first in top-flight football, most fans don’t give it much mind. He ended that season’s campaign with a lone goal, scored away at Real Valladolid.
Another cause for his career to be overlooked by many, could be a shortage of goals, the game’s premium currency. Guti left Madrid with 77 goals, a total that does seem relatively measly for a player of immense quality such as himself.
Though, using goals as a metric to describe his value as a player may be in fact, not be the wisest thing to do; since his game revolved more around his playmaking capabilities from central-midfield, where he played mostly for Los Merengues. He left Real Madrid having provided 90 assists to his teammates.
However, what made Guti so great, are things not easily accounted for in simple stats like G/A, but rather his technique and versatility. The latter of which proved itself to be in abundance in the Spaniard’s game.
At the turn of the millennium, following the departure of Clarence Seedorf; Guti recorded 6 goals in the league, his highest tally at the time. The following season he recorded 14 goals in La Liga; this was considerably better than all his previous and subsequent tallies he would record for the club. Very impressive, seeing that he was playing out of his usual central-midfield role, showcasing said versatility and adaptability.
This position change was due to the injuries which sidelined Fernando Morientes, the usual striker, that season. His efforts during this season helped the Madrid team lift its 27th Spanish league title.
Guti would then be returned to his usual role in the middle of the park. This was following the transfer of possibly the greatest striker ever and Galactico, Ronaldo Nazario to Madrid, in the summer of 2002. This transfer was following Madrid’s Champions League victory that year.
In the 2006–07 season, following the retirement of the legendary Zinedine Zidane, affectionately known as “Zizou”; that more creative role on the pitch needed to be filled. Guti was now able to play in his preferred position, where he would be able to make the most use of his clever passing and beautiful link-up play, carving away opposition defenses and creating goals which helped Real to win its 30th La Liga title.
His memory and reputation in the hearts and minds of Madridistas is great, as he helped the club to win numerous trophies in his time there. Well, most Madrid supporters see him that way, except for a very small minority who may have been upset with his antics in the 2009–10 season. While the team was down at halftime during an away game in the Copa Del Rey, he got in a verbal altercation with then, head coach, Manuel Pellegrini. This soured their relationship. He found himself being dropped from numerous match-day squads that season; unluckily, when given the chance to return, he suffered injuries, preventing him from playing.
Although, usually, the memories of that season are overshadowed by the arrivals of Brazilian superstar Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. The latter, had already cemented himself as one of the game’s greatest even before his arrival in Madrid, as he had previously won a Champions League and a Ballon d’Or with the English powerhouse.
At the end of the 2009–10 season, with his contract not being renewed, Guti had ended his tenure at Los Blancos and joined Beşiktaş, in Istanbul, Turkey; a team which he said reached out to him. By then, he had given the club 542 first team appearances and nearly 25 years of great service if you include his formative academy years. He was a true Madrid hero, and bled white.
As one of Madrid’s Galacticos, he saw and helped the club to reach even new heights with his contributions to domestic and European titles. I think his legacy should be respected more and given more spotlight than it is usually given in football media. He should be brought up more frequently in discussions about Madrid’s most instrumental players during that era.
He deserves his flowers for his service to Real Madrid and to football on a whole.
A career full of many great highlights, a player who no matter who he played with, he rose to the occasion, rose to their level and uplifted the team.
He provided entertainment for fans of the game and showed class from the first time he laced his boots to play with the cantera, up until he laced them for the final time.
Note: All stats used were taken from Transfermarkt.
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