Guti praises "best Real Madrid team I have played in"

   And he should really know what he is talking about.

 Guti, 32, has been at Real since 1995 - as superstars, "Galacticos", coaches and presidents have come and gone - and has helped the whites win three Champions Leagues and six Spanish Ligas.

 "This is the best Real Madrid team I have played in", he told the media, "not only because of the individual quality but also because of the depth of the squad."

   Real president Florentino Perez broke all the spending records this summer, splashing out 256 million euros (374.37 million dollars) on eight new players.

 This new-look team has made an excellent start, winning all seven of their competitive games, in La Liga and the Champions Cup.

 Guti admitted that he considered leaving the club in the summer. "I knew that staying here would be complicated because of all the signings. But from the first moment (coach Manuel) Pellegrini showed his confidence in me, and the best way to thank him for that is by trying to do things as well as possible."

   He added that "we are still looking for our best style, the team is adjusting. They have brought in many new players, with great qualities."

   Guti has been in the Real squad since the age of 18 but, curiously, has never been an unquestioned first-choice in midfield.

 No one dares to question the quality of his left-foot passing - reminiscent of 1970s West German playmaker Wolfgang Overath - nor his eye for goal.

 However, many coaches have despaired at his apparent lack of commitment to the cause and at his nonchalant, languid, even lethargic style.

 For many years he was consistently jeered by many "madridista" fans in the Estadio Bernabeu, because of his alleged lack of effort and urgency.

 Regarding his future, Guti said that "I am going to see out the two years that are left to me (his contract expires in 2011) and I hope they extend it by two more years afterwards."

   However, he added that "I cannot deny that winning the Champions League here at home (the 2010 final will be staged in the Bernabeu) would be the perfect end."

    Guti finished by saying that Sunday's game away to third-placed Sevilla "will be very difficult", and by expressing the hope that Cristiano Ronaldo (who took a heavy blow to the right ankle in Wednesday's 3-0 Champions League defeat of Olympique Marseille) will be fit to play.

DPA