🔗 Share this article The Reason Los Blancos Have 'Total Trust' in Youngster Thiago Pitarch The teenager has featured in seven matches for the Spanish giants, including five appearances in the starting lineup. Whenever a 18-year-old creates Real Madrid a historic moment in a crucial European match against Manchester City, it naturally attracts acclaim and attention. In only his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the club - the young midfielder made a strong impression as the 15-time Champions League winners claimed a three-nil last-16 first-leg advantage at the Bernabeu. The teenager, who also had his Real debut in the play-off round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then helped the Madrid side defeat the English Premier League side in Tuesday's second leg to secure a last eight berth. At 18 years old, Pitarch became the team's most youthful starter to start twice in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing star Vini Jr's record by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise From The Academy The midfielder is the latest to come through from the club's academy and is quickly establishing himself as one of Alvaro Arbeloa's most promising young players. He signed for Madrid from Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico and Getafe's youth teams, and starting out for the Juvenil C team, where he quickly made a positive impact. He progressed to the reserve side and it was in a pre-season game in which they played against the academy's first team, then coached by the former defender, where the youngster is said to have drawn the eye of the present manager, who took over from Xabi Alonso in the new year. Reports would later label the moment as "love at first sight," adding Pitarch stood out not only for his skill on the ball, but for the vitality, personality and drive he brought to the side. 'His Best Attribute Is His Character' During the summer of 2025, ex-manager Xabi Alonso invited the youngster to practice with the senior squad and gave him minutes during pre-season. Yet, it was the change in manager that proved the turning point in his development as he came on as a second-half replacement in both ties against the Portuguese side that set up the meeting with Manchester City. "I have dreamed of this every night before going to bed, the first day I began playing the game, each day you head to training and every day you have a game," said the player following his debut. "I have just fulfilled my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the best competition." Handed a first start in the Spanish league against his former club - where he was for several seasons after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has kept his spot for the following four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos provided an opportunity. Pitarch has seized it with performances that have belied his youth and experience. "He's a very quick footballer, and you can observe what he's capable of," remarked Arbeloa. "He's extremely energetic, with great stamina, work-rate and movement." Pitarch's mentality has also stood out to his manager. "His standout trait is his character," continued he. "He constantly demands the possession, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I realize fans might be astonished to see him make his debut in a Champions League match, but he's playing because I had complete confidence in him to do his normal game. "He will keep receiving opportunities with the main squad. It's a pleasure to coach a talent like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and grew up fully immersed in the local game, progressing through local academies before entering the club's famous La Fabrica system. He possesses dual Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the choice to play for either country at senior international level. According to Fifa eligibility rules, players may appear for different countries at youth level without being permanently tied, with the ultimate choice only final once they play in a competitive senior international match. Pitarch has played for Spain at youth level, turning out for both the U19 and under-20 sides, and participated in the 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup, where La Roja reached the last eight. Despite this, he has yet to commit to either senior national team, who are monitoring his progress with interest. Speaking recently, Pitarch confirmed: "I haven't made my ultimate choice so far. Things are positive with Spain, but I will reach a decision soon." His situation mirrors that of other dual nationality players such as Real team-mate Brahim Diaz and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. Whereas teenage Yamal opted for Spain, Brahim opted to play for Morocco. Focus on the Future At present, his attention is on making his mark in the Real side and rewarding Arbeloa's faith. He featured for 74 minutes in the two-one victory at the Etihad, which sealed a five-one overall triumph and a quarter-final tie with the German champions. His substitution by another academy player in Angel to emphasise Arbeloa's trust in younger players to aid the club pursue future success. Following his impressive impact to date on European football's biggest stage, Pitarch is tipped to play a key role in that. "Arbeloa handles me the identical way. We deal with it very naturally. I attempt not to overanalyze it too much - I have to deserve my playing time on the pitch," he said following the success at Manchester.
The teenager has featured in seven matches for the Spanish giants, including five appearances in the starting lineup. Whenever a 18-year-old creates Real Madrid a historic moment in a crucial European match against Manchester City, it naturally attracts acclaim and attention. In only his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the club - the young midfielder made a strong impression as the 15-time Champions League winners claimed a three-nil last-16 first-leg advantage at the Bernabeu. The teenager, who also had his Real debut in the play-off round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then helped the Madrid side defeat the English Premier League side in Tuesday's second leg to secure a last eight berth. At 18 years old, Pitarch became the team's most youthful starter to start twice in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing star Vini Jr's record by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise From The Academy The midfielder is the latest to come through from the club's academy and is quickly establishing himself as one of Alvaro Arbeloa's most promising young players. He signed for Madrid from Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico and Getafe's youth teams, and starting out for the Juvenil C team, where he quickly made a positive impact. He progressed to the reserve side and it was in a pre-season game in which they played against the academy's first team, then coached by the former defender, where the youngster is said to have drawn the eye of the present manager, who took over from Xabi Alonso in the new year. Reports would later label the moment as "love at first sight," adding Pitarch stood out not only for his skill on the ball, but for the vitality, personality and drive he brought to the side. 'His Best Attribute Is His Character' During the summer of 2025, ex-manager Xabi Alonso invited the youngster to practice with the senior squad and gave him minutes during pre-season. Yet, it was the change in manager that proved the turning point in his development as he came on as a second-half replacement in both ties against the Portuguese side that set up the meeting with Manchester City. "I have dreamed of this every night before going to bed, the first day I began playing the game, each day you head to training and every day you have a game," said the player following his debut. "I have just fulfilled my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the best competition." Handed a first start in the Spanish league against his former club - where he was for several seasons after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has kept his spot for the following four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos provided an opportunity. Pitarch has seized it with performances that have belied his youth and experience. "He's a very quick footballer, and you can observe what he's capable of," remarked Arbeloa. "He's extremely energetic, with great stamina, work-rate and movement." Pitarch's mentality has also stood out to his manager. "His standout trait is his character," continued he. "He constantly demands the possession, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I realize fans might be astonished to see him make his debut in a Champions League match, but he's playing because I had complete confidence in him to do his normal game. "He will keep receiving opportunities with the main squad. It's a pleasure to coach a talent like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and grew up fully immersed in the local game, progressing through local academies before entering the club's famous La Fabrica system. He possesses dual Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the choice to play for either country at senior international level. According to Fifa eligibility rules, players may appear for different countries at youth level without being permanently tied, with the ultimate choice only final once they play in a competitive senior international match. Pitarch has played for Spain at youth level, turning out for both the U19 and under-20 sides, and participated in the 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup, where La Roja reached the last eight. Despite this, he has yet to commit to either senior national team, who are monitoring his progress with interest. Speaking recently, Pitarch confirmed: "I haven't made my ultimate choice so far. Things are positive with Spain, but I will reach a decision soon." His situation mirrors that of other dual nationality players such as Real team-mate Brahim Diaz and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. Whereas teenage Yamal opted for Spain, Brahim opted to play for Morocco. Focus on the Future At present, his attention is on making his mark in the Real side and rewarding Arbeloa's faith. He featured for 74 minutes in the two-one victory at the Etihad, which sealed a five-one overall triumph and a quarter-final tie with the German champions. His substitution by another academy player in Angel to emphasise Arbeloa's trust in younger players to aid the club pursue future success. Following his impressive impact to date on European football's biggest stage, Pitarch is tipped to play a key role in that. "Arbeloa handles me the identical way. We deal with it very naturally. I attempt not to overanalyze it too much - I have to deserve my playing time on the pitch," he said following the success at Manchester.