Guti dreaming of Real Madrid job

Guti harbours strong ambitions of returning to Real Madrid to lead the LaLiga giants as head coach.

Madrid great Guti was linked with a move back to the Spanish capital before Julen Lopetegui was sacked and replaced by Santiago Solari in October.

Guti – who left Madrid's youth team to re-join Turkish powerhouses Besiktas as a coach in July last year – still dreams of coaching his boyhood club.

"For sure. I have always said it. [To be on] the bench of Real Madrid is the maximum, as it was as a player," the 42-year-old told Marca.

"To be there one day would be really significant. I know that I must achieve plenty to be there but it also took a great effort to be there as a player. I am not scared of that.

"The only thing I want is to have an opportunity to do things well and for my work to be known and to keep growing."

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"For now, I am happy with the steps that I have taken," Guti said. "Now I have the final one, which for me is to be the head coach of a professional team. I am waiting for this, excited, with great enthusiasm and I hope it will happen this summer."

Amid Madrid's struggles this season, Guti was asked if he could have been named coach and the ex-midfielder replied: "It is obvious that I would have had more of a chance if I was still there but I do not like to look back. It is worthless.

"Now, I am happy to have made the decision to come here. It has been very good for me to know what it is like to be a coach in professional football and keep growing."

Zinedine Zidane was re-appointed last month after Solari was sacked, the Frenchman having left Madrid following a third consecutive Champions League title in 2017-18.

"It surprised me, but it is clear that Zidane has done things very well at Real Madrid and the team was in a delicate situation," Guti added. "The friendship between Florentino [Perez] and Zidane also helped. If it is for the good of Real Madrid, all of us Madridistas are happy with his return."

Madrid, who suffered a 2-1 loss to Valencia on Wednesday, are third and 13 points adrift of LaLiga leaders Barcelona.