🔗 Share this article Why Real Madrid Possess 'Complete Confidence' in Teenager Pitarch Thiago Pitarch has played seven matches for the Spanish giants, including five starts. When an 18-year-old creates club a historic moment in a pivotal European tie against Manchester City, it naturally attracts acclaim and the spotlight. In only his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the team - Thiago Pitarch suitably impressed as the 15-time Champions League winners secured a 3-0 last-16 first-leg lead at the Santiago Bernabeu. The teenager, who also had his club debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then helped Los Blancos defeat the English Premier League side in Tuesday's second leg to secure a last eight berth. At 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder was the club's most youthful starter to begin two matches in the Champions League's latter rounds, beating star Vinicius Jr's record by 10 days. Rapid Ascent From The Academy This talent is the most recent to emerge from the club's academy and is rapidly cementing himself as one of the manager's most exciting protegees. He signed for Madrid from CD Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe academies, and starting out for the under-19 side, where he quickly made a positive impact. Pitarch progressed to the B team and it was during a pre-season game in which they played against the senior squad, then coached by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have drawn the eye of the present manager, who took over from the previous coach in January. Spanish media would later label the moment as "an instant connection," adding Pitarch stood out not only for his skill on the ball, but for the vitality, personality and drive he brought to the team. 'His Greatest Quality Is His Personality' In the pre-season of 2025, ex-manager Alonso called up the youngster to train with the first team and gave him playing time during the warm-up matches. Yet, it was Arbeloa's appointment that became the defining moment in his career as he came on as a second-half replacement in each leg against Benfica that set up the clash 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 play a match," stated the player following his first appearance. "I have just achieved my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the top tournament." Handed a starting debut in the Spanish league against his former club - where he was for four years after moving from Atletico in 2018 - he has retained his spot for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Dani Ceballos provided an opening. Pitarch has taken it with displays that have defied his age and inexperience. "He is a very quick footballer, and you can observe what he's capable of," remarked the coach. "He's incredibly dynamic, with excellent endurance, work-rate and mobility." The player's mindset has also impressed his manager. "His greatest quality is his personality," added he. "He always wants the possession, and when pressed, he remains unfazed. "I understand fans might be astonished to watch him start in a Champions League match, but he is selected because I had total trust in him to perform what he usually does. "He will keep receiving chances with the main squad. It's a pleasure to have a talent like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and grew up deeply involved in the local game, moving through youth setups before entering the club's renowned youth academy. He holds dual Moroccan and Spanish nationality, offering him the option to play for both nations at the highest level. According to Fifa eligibility rules, players may appear for multiple nations at youth level without being permanently tied, with the ultimate choice only binding once they play in a competitive full international. He has featured for the Spanish national team at underage levels, turning out for both the under-19 and U20 teams, and took part in the 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup, where La Roja made it to the last eight. Despite this, he has not yet decided to either full national side, who are monitoring his progress with interest. In a recent interview, the player said: "I haven't made my final decision so far. My situation is positive with Spain, but I will reach a decision in the near future." His situation echoes that of other dual nationality players such as Real team-mate Diaz and Barca star Yamal. While teenage Yamal chose Spain, Diaz decided to represent Morocco. Eyes on the Prize For now, Pitarch's focus is on making his mark in the Real side and repaying Arbeloa's faith. He featured for over an hour in the 2-1 win at the Etihad, which sealed a 5-1 aggregate success and a quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich. He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored Arbeloa's trust in younger players to help the club chase trophies to come. After his impressive impact so far on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that. "The manager treats me the same. We handle it very normally. I try not to think about it excessively - I have to deserve my minutes on the field," he commented after the win at Manchester.
Thiago Pitarch has played seven matches for the Spanish giants, including five starts. When an 18-year-old creates club a historic moment in a pivotal European tie against Manchester City, it naturally attracts acclaim and the spotlight. In only his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the team - Thiago Pitarch suitably impressed as the 15-time Champions League winners secured a 3-0 last-16 first-leg lead at the Santiago Bernabeu. The teenager, who also had his club debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then helped Los Blancos defeat the English Premier League side in Tuesday's second leg to secure a last eight berth. At 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder was the club's most youthful starter to begin two matches in the Champions League's latter rounds, beating star Vinicius Jr's record by 10 days. Rapid Ascent From The Academy This talent is the most recent to emerge from the club's academy and is rapidly cementing himself as one of the manager's most exciting protegees. He signed for Madrid from CD Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe academies, and starting out for the under-19 side, where he quickly made a positive impact. Pitarch progressed to the B team and it was during a pre-season game in which they played against the senior squad, then coached by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have drawn the eye of the present manager, who took over from the previous coach in January. Spanish media would later label the moment as "an instant connection," adding Pitarch stood out not only for his skill on the ball, but for the vitality, personality and drive he brought to the team. 'His Greatest Quality Is His Personality' In the pre-season of 2025, ex-manager Alonso called up the youngster to train with the first team and gave him playing time during the warm-up matches. Yet, it was Arbeloa's appointment that became the defining moment in his career as he came on as a second-half replacement in each leg against Benfica that set up the clash 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 play a match," stated the player following his first appearance. "I have just achieved my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the top tournament." Handed a starting debut in the Spanish league against his former club - where he was for four years after moving from Atletico in 2018 - he has retained his spot for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Dani Ceballos provided an opening. Pitarch has taken it with displays that have defied his age and inexperience. "He is a very quick footballer, and you can observe what he's capable of," remarked the coach. "He's incredibly dynamic, with excellent endurance, work-rate and mobility." The player's mindset has also impressed his manager. "His greatest quality is his personality," added he. "He always wants the possession, and when pressed, he remains unfazed. "I understand fans might be astonished to watch him start in a Champions League match, but he is selected because I had total trust in him to perform what he usually does. "He will keep receiving chances with the main squad. It's a pleasure to have a talent like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and grew up deeply involved in the local game, moving through youth setups before entering the club's renowned youth academy. He holds dual Moroccan and Spanish nationality, offering him the option to play for both nations at the highest level. According to Fifa eligibility rules, players may appear for multiple nations at youth level without being permanently tied, with the ultimate choice only binding once they play in a competitive full international. He has featured for the Spanish national team at underage levels, turning out for both the under-19 and U20 teams, and took part in the 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup, where La Roja made it to the last eight. Despite this, he has not yet decided to either full national side, who are monitoring his progress with interest. In a recent interview, the player said: "I haven't made my final decision so far. My situation is positive with Spain, but I will reach a decision in the near future." His situation echoes that of other dual nationality players such as Real team-mate Diaz and Barca star Yamal. While teenage Yamal chose Spain, Diaz decided to represent Morocco. Eyes on the Prize For now, Pitarch's focus is on making his mark in the Real side and repaying Arbeloa's faith. He featured for over an hour in the 2-1 win at the Etihad, which sealed a 5-1 aggregate success and a quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich. He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored Arbeloa's trust in younger players to help the club chase trophies to come. After his impressive impact so far on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that. "The manager treats me the same. We handle it very normally. I try not to think about it excessively - I have to deserve my minutes on the field," he commented after the win at Manchester.