Published On 4/27/2026
Former Real Madrid star Jose Maria Gutierrez, known as “Guti”, doubted the ability of Benfica’s current coach, Portuguese Jose Mourinho, to coach Real Madrid for a second term.
Real Madrid recorded disappointing results this season, accompanied by varying performances between ups and downs in all tournaments, as the team approached going out without major titles for the second season in a row, during which coach Xabi Alonso was dismissed last January, and now he is planning to fire his successor, Alvaro Arbeloa.
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For a few weeks, the speculation surrounding the position of Real Madrid’s next coach has not stopped, and various Spanish and European reports have placed the names of many coaches on the management table of President Florentino Pérez, most notably Mourinho, nicknamed “Special One.”
Guti opposes Mourinho’s return
Guti (49 years old) was asked about the possibility of Mourinho returning to coach Real Madrid for a second term, and he gave an answer that can be described as shocking to fans of the Royal Club.
Guti said: “Mourinho is a great coach, but I think his peak period has passed. He comes from Fenerbahce and also coached Benfica during a difficult period.”
He added during a television interview: “I see that there are coaches in better condition than him, or at least that is what I would have looked for in a contract.”
Guti is a member of Real Madrid. He began his career in the youth groups and reached the first team in 1996. He continued with them for 14 years, ending with his departure to Turkish Besiktas in the summer of 2010.
During this period, Guti defended the Real Madrid shirt in 542 matches in all tournaments, during which he scored 77 goals and provided 96 assists to his teammates, according to data from the famous Transfermarkt website.
Guti won 15 trophies with Real Madrid, namely the Spanish League (5), the Spanish Super Cup (4), the Champions League (3), the European Super Cup (1), and the Intercontinental Cup (2).
Mourinho’s first era with Real Madrid
As for Mourinho, who has a contract with Benfica until the summer of 2027, he previously coached Real Madrid for 3 seasons in the period between 2010 and 2013.
During that period, he led the Royal Club in 178 matches in all tournaments, with the “Merengue” winning 127 of them and drawing 28 compared to 23 defeats.
With Real Madrid, Mourinho won 3 local titles: the Spanish League (1), the Spanish King’s Cup (1), and the Spanish Super Cup (1).
