When José Mourinho took charge of Real Madrid in 2010, he wasted no time making significant changes to the squad, including offloading four players during his first summer. These moves marked the beginning of his efforts to rebuild the team in his image. Here's what happened to those players after their departures.
Rafael van der Vaart
The Dutch midfielder, who had been at Real for two seasons, was sold to Tottenham in a cut-price deal after a failed transfer to Bayern Munich. Van der Vaart enjoyed a strong first season at Spurs, scoring 13 goals and providing 9 assists across all competitions. However, after two seasons, he returned to Hamburg before winding down his career in Spain and Denmark. Since retiring in 2018, Van der Vaart has explored various ventures, including a brief stint in professional darts and more recently, a career in broadcasting.
Raul Gonzalez
A club legend, Raul's emotional departure from Real Madrid in 2010 marked the end of a 16-year career at the club. After two successful seasons with Schalke, where he helped them reach the Champions League semi-finals, Raul moved to Al Sadd and the New York Cosmos before retiring in 2015. Now back in Madrid, Raul has turned to coaching and has been in charge of Real Madrid's B team, Castilla, since 2019.
Guti
Another iconic figure at Real, Guti left after 25 years at the club, having been phased out before Mourinho's arrival. He joined Turkish side Besiktas, where he helped them win the Turkish Cup in his first season. After his playing career, Guti transitioned into coaching, working with Real Madrid's youth teams until 2018. He later became an assistant manager at Besiktas and had a brief stint as Almeria’s head coach, but hasn’t managed since 2020.
Christoph Metzelder
Metzelder, who had spent three years at Real Madrid after a long stint at Borussia Dortmund, retired from professional football in 2014 after short spells at Schalke and TuS Hultern. Unfortunately, his post-football life took a dark turn. In 2021, Metzelder was sentenced to 10 months in prison after being convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography.
These four players, all integral figures in Real Madrid's history, took varied paths after Mourinho’s purging of the squad, with some continuing careers in football, while others faced personal controversies.
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