Guti didn’t speak to me for three months but he was the best I ever played with – Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder has revealed his move to Real Madrid initially didn’t go down too well with veteran midfielder Guti. 

The Spanish maestro had come through the club’s youth ranks to establish himself as a regular starter at the Santiago Bernabeu but the arrival of Sneijder saw him temporarily shifted to the substitutes’ bench. 

That change in roles saw Guti give the Dutchman the silent treatment as a result early on, only for the pair to form an effective partnership.

Having played with some of the game’s best across stints at Ajax, Inter Milan and Galatasaray, Sneijder in fact believes Guti was the greatest he played with – despite their awkward start. 

“I quickly became a part of the starting XI after I joined Real Madrid. Guti didn’t speak to me for three months or so because he ended up on the bench,” Sneijder told Fox Sports NL. 

“But at some point we ended up playing together and we had an incredible connection. We knew where the other one was or was going without even looking.

“He’s a phenomenal player, probably the best player I’ve ever played with. Unreal. He made the biggest impression on me.”

Sneijder would end up spending just two seasons in Madrid, winning La Liga in his first season before moving on to Inter Milan where he won the Champions League in 2010. 

He recently hung up the boots following a final playing stint in Qatar and claims he could have matched the levels of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had he been more committed. 

Guti meanwhile, departed Los Blancos in 2010 and ending his career playing in Turkey with Besiktas. The Spaniard has recently taken on his first managerial role in charge of Segunda Division side Almeria. 

The club are currently third in the Spanish second division with Guti drawing his first two games in charge. 

The 43-year-old has previously coached Real Madrid’s youth side and been an assistant at Besiktas, but Almeria marks his first senior position as a manager. 

Guti has also made no secret of the fact he’d be open to one day taking charge of Los Blancos. 

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“For sure. I have always said it. [To be on] the bench of Real Madrid is the maximum, as it was as a player,” he told MARCA in April. 

“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.”