🔗 Share this article The Reason Real Madrid Possess 'Complete Confidence' in Youngster Pitarch Thiago Pitarch has played seven matches for Real Madrid, including five appearances in the starting lineup. Whenever a teenage creates Real Madrid history in a key European match against City, it inevitably draws praise and attention. During his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the club - the young midfielder suitably impressed as the 15-time European champions claimed a three-nil round of 16 first-leg lead at the Santiago Bernabeu. The young player, who also had his club debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then assisted the Madrid side overcome the English Premier League side in Tuesday's second leg to confirm a quarter-final place. Aged 18 years and 226 days, Pitarch was the team's youngest player to begin two matches in the Champions League's latter rounds, surpassing Brazil forward Vini Jr's previous mark by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise Through The Academy The midfielder is the most recent to emerge from the famed youth system and is quickly establishing himself as one of Alvaro Arbeloa's most exciting young players. He joined Madrid from CD Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico and Getafe's youth teams, and initially featuring for the Juvenil C team, where he rapidly created a strong impression. Pitarch worked his way up to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they faced the senior squad, then managed by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have caught the attention of the current Real boss, who replaced Xabi Alonso in the new year. Reports would later describe the moment as "an instant connection," noting Pitarch stood out not only for his technical ability, but for the vitality, personality and determination he brought to the team. 'His Greatest Quality Remains His Personality' During the summer of 2025, ex-manager Alonso invited the youngster to practice with the first team and gave him minutes in the warm-up matches. However, it was Arbeloa's appointment that became the defining moment in his development as he came on as a second-half replacement in each leg against Benfica that set up the meeting with Pep Guardiola's team. "I have dreamed of this each night when sleeping, the first day I started playing football, each day you go to train and every day you play a match," said the player after his first appearance. "I have just achieved my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the best competition." Given a starting debut in La Liga against Getafe - where he was for four years after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has kept his place for the next four as fitness issues to Bellingham and Dani Ceballos provided an opportunity. The teenager has seized it with performances that have belied his age and experience. "He is a extremely fast player, and you can observe what he's capable of," said the coach. "He is extremely energetic, with great stamina, effort and movement." Pitarch's mentality has also stood out to his coach. "His greatest quality is his character," added he. "He always wants the ball, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I realize fans might be astonished to watch him make his debut in a European fixture, but he is selected because I had total confidence in him to perform what he usually does. "Thiago will continue to get chances with the main squad. It is delightful to have a talent like him." A Future International Decision Pitarch was born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and was raised fully immersed in the local game, moving through youth setups before entering Real Madrid's renowned youth academy. He holds both Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the choice to represent either country at the highest level. Under international regulations, players may appear for different countries at youth level without being locked in, with the final decision only final once they appear in a official senior international match. Pitarch has played for the Spanish national team at youth level, representing both the U19 and U20 sides, and participated in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where La Roja made it to the last eight. Nevertheless, he has yet to commit to any senior national team, who are monitoring his progress with interest. In a recent interview, Pitarch confirmed: "I have not taken my ultimate choice yet. Things are positive with the Spanish federation, but I'll make a conclusion soon." His situation echoes that of other bi-national talents such as club colleague Diaz and Barca star Lamine Yamal. While teenage Yamal opted for La Roja, Brahim decided to represent the Atlas Lions. Eyes on the Prize For now, Pitarch's focus is on making his mark in the Real side and rewarding Arbeloa's faith. He played 74 minutes in the 2-1 victory at City, which sealed a 5-1 overall triumph and a quarter-final matchup with the German champions. He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored the coach's confidence in younger players to help the team chase trophies to come. Following his impressive impact so far on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that. "The manager handles me the identical way. We deal with it very naturally. I try not to think about it excessively - I must earn my playing time on the field," he said after the success at Manchester.
Thiago Pitarch has played seven matches for Real Madrid, including five appearances in the starting lineup. Whenever a teenage creates Real Madrid history in a key European match against City, it inevitably draws praise and attention. During his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the club - the young midfielder suitably impressed as the 15-time European champions claimed a three-nil round of 16 first-leg lead at the Santiago Bernabeu. The young player, who also had his club debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then assisted the Madrid side overcome the English Premier League side in Tuesday's second leg to confirm a quarter-final place. Aged 18 years and 226 days, Pitarch was the team's youngest player to begin two matches in the Champions League's latter rounds, surpassing Brazil forward Vini Jr's previous mark by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise Through The Academy The midfielder is the most recent to emerge from the famed youth system and is quickly establishing himself as one of Alvaro Arbeloa's most exciting young players. He joined Madrid from CD Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico and Getafe's youth teams, and initially featuring for the Juvenil C team, where he rapidly created a strong impression. Pitarch worked his way up to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they faced the senior squad, then managed by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have caught the attention of the current Real boss, who replaced Xabi Alonso in the new year. Reports would later describe the moment as "an instant connection," noting Pitarch stood out not only for his technical ability, but for the vitality, personality and determination he brought to the team. 'His Greatest Quality Remains His Personality' During the summer of 2025, ex-manager Alonso invited the youngster to practice with the first team and gave him minutes in the warm-up matches. However, it was Arbeloa's appointment that became the defining moment in his development as he came on as a second-half replacement in each leg against Benfica that set up the meeting with Pep Guardiola's team. "I have dreamed of this each night when sleeping, the first day I started playing football, each day you go to train and every day you play a match," said the player after his first appearance. "I have just achieved my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the best competition." Given a starting debut in La Liga against Getafe - where he was for four years after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has kept his place for the next four as fitness issues to Bellingham and Dani Ceballos provided an opportunity. The teenager has seized it with performances that have belied his age and experience. "He is a extremely fast player, and you can observe what he's capable of," said the coach. "He is extremely energetic, with great stamina, effort and movement." Pitarch's mentality has also stood out to his coach. "His greatest quality is his character," added he. "He always wants the ball, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I realize fans might be astonished to watch him make his debut in a European fixture, but he is selected because I had total confidence in him to perform what he usually does. "Thiago will continue to get chances with the main squad. It is delightful to have a talent like him." A Future International Decision Pitarch was born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and was raised fully immersed in the local game, moving through youth setups before entering Real Madrid's renowned youth academy. He holds both Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the choice to represent either country at the highest level. Under international regulations, players may appear for different countries at youth level without being locked in, with the final decision only final once they appear in a official senior international match. Pitarch has played for the Spanish national team at youth level, representing both the U19 and U20 sides, and participated in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where La Roja made it to the last eight. Nevertheless, he has yet to commit to any senior national team, who are monitoring his progress with interest. In a recent interview, Pitarch confirmed: "I have not taken my ultimate choice yet. Things are positive with the Spanish federation, but I'll make a conclusion soon." His situation echoes that of other bi-national talents such as club colleague Diaz and Barca star Lamine Yamal. While teenage Yamal opted for La Roja, Brahim decided to represent the Atlas Lions. Eyes on the Prize For now, Pitarch's focus is on making his mark in the Real side and rewarding Arbeloa's faith. He played 74 minutes in the 2-1 victory at City, which sealed a 5-1 overall triumph and a quarter-final matchup with the German champions. He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored the coach's confidence in younger players to help the team chase trophies to come. Following his impressive impact so far on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that. "The manager handles me the identical way. We deal with it very naturally. I try not to think about it excessively - I must earn my playing time on the field," he said after the success at Manchester.