🔗 Share this article Why Los Blancos Possess 'Total Faith' in Teenager Pitarch The teenager has featured in seven matches for Real Madrid, featuring five starts. Whenever a 18-year-old makes Real Madrid a historic moment in a pivotal Champions League tie against Manchester City, it naturally attracts acclaim and the spotlight. During his first start in the competition - and fifth game for the club - Thiago Pitarch suitably impressed as the fifteen-time Champions League winners secured a 3-0 last-16 first-leg lead at the Bernabeu. The young player, who also made his club debut in the play-off round a few weeks prior with a cameo off the bench at Sporting Lisbon, then helped Los Blancos overcome the English Premier League side in the midweek return to confirm a quarter-final place. At 18 years old, Pitarch was the team's most youthful starter to begin two matches in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's previous mark by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise From La Fabrica 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 exciting young players. He signed for Madrid from Leganes in 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe academies, and starting out for the under-19 side, where he rapidly created a positive impact. He progressed to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they faced the academy's first team, then coached by Arbeloa, where the teenager is said to have caught the attention of the present manager, who replaced the previous coach in January. Spanish media would later label the moment as "love at first sight," adding he stood out not only for his skill on the ball, but for the energy, character and determination he added to the side. 'His Greatest Quality Is His Character' In the summer of 2025, former boss Xabi Alonso called up the youngster to train with the first team and gave him playing time during pre-season. However, it was the change in manager that became the turning point in his career as he came on as a late substitute in both ties against the Portuguese side that led to the meeting with Pep Guardiola's team. "I've dreamed of this every night when sleeping, the very first time I began playing the game, every day you head to training and every day you play a match," said the player following his first appearance. "I have just achieved my ambition with the best team in the world and in the best competition." Given a first start in the Spanish league against Getafe - where he was for four years after arriving from Atleti in 2018 - he has retained his place for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos provided an opening. Pitarch has taken it with performances that have belied his youth and inexperience. "He's a very quick footballer, and you can observe what he's capable of," said Arbeloa. "He's incredibly dynamic, with excellent endurance, effort and mobility." The player's mindset has also impressed his coach. "His standout trait is his personality," continued Arbeloa. "He constantly demands the ball, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I understand people are surprised to watch him start in a European fixture, but he is selected because I had complete confidence in him to do his normal game. "Thiago will continue to get opportunities with the first team. It is delightful to coach a talent like him." A Future International Decision Pitarch was born in Fuenlabrada, in the Madrid region, and was raised deeply involved in Spanish football, moving through local academies 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 international regulations, players may represent multiple nations at youth level without being locked in, with the ultimate choice only binding once they play in a official senior international match. Pitarch has featured for Spain at youth level, representing both the under-19 and under-20 teams, and took part in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where Spain reached the last eight. Despite this, he has not yet decided to any full national side, who are monitoring his rise with keen attention. Speaking recently, Pitarch confirmed: "I have not taken my final decision so far. My situation is great with Spain, but I'll make a decision in the near future." This scenario echoes that of other dual nationality players such as club colleague Brahim Diaz and Barcelona forward Yamal. Whereas 18-year-old Yamal opted for Spain, Brahim decided to represent the Atlas Lions. Focus on the Future At present, his attention is on making his mark in the Madrid lineup and rewarding his manager's belief. He played over an hour in the 2-1 win at the Etihad, which sealed a five-one overall triumph and a quarter-final matchup with Bayern Munich. He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored Arbeloa's trust in the next generation to aid the team 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 handles me the same. We deal with it very naturally. I attempt not to overanalyze it excessively - I have to deserve my minutes on the field," he commented following the success at Manchester.
The teenager has featured in seven matches for Real Madrid, featuring five starts. Whenever a 18-year-old makes Real Madrid a historic moment in a pivotal Champions League tie against Manchester City, it naturally attracts acclaim and the spotlight. During his first start in the competition - and fifth game for the club - Thiago Pitarch suitably impressed as the fifteen-time Champions League winners secured a 3-0 last-16 first-leg lead at the Bernabeu. The young player, who also made his club debut in the play-off round a few weeks prior with a cameo off the bench at Sporting Lisbon, then helped Los Blancos overcome the English Premier League side in the midweek return to confirm a quarter-final place. At 18 years old, Pitarch was the team's most youthful starter to begin two matches in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's previous mark by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise From La Fabrica 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 exciting young players. He signed for Madrid from Leganes in 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe academies, and starting out for the under-19 side, where he rapidly created a positive impact. He progressed to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they faced the academy's first team, then coached by Arbeloa, where the teenager is said to have caught the attention of the present manager, who replaced the previous coach in January. Spanish media would later label the moment as "love at first sight," adding he stood out not only for his skill on the ball, but for the energy, character and determination he added to the side. 'His Greatest Quality Is His Character' In the summer of 2025, former boss Xabi Alonso called up the youngster to train with the first team and gave him playing time during pre-season. However, it was the change in manager that became the turning point in his career as he came on as a late substitute in both ties against the Portuguese side that led to the meeting with Pep Guardiola's team. "I've dreamed of this every night when sleeping, the very first time I began playing the game, every day you head to training and every day you play a match," said the player following his first appearance. "I have just achieved my ambition with the best team in the world and in the best competition." Given a first start in the Spanish league against Getafe - where he was for four years after arriving from Atleti in 2018 - he has retained his place for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos provided an opening. Pitarch has taken it with performances that have belied his youth and inexperience. "He's a very quick footballer, and you can observe what he's capable of," said Arbeloa. "He's incredibly dynamic, with excellent endurance, effort and mobility." The player's mindset has also impressed his coach. "His standout trait is his personality," continued Arbeloa. "He constantly demands the ball, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I understand people are surprised to watch him start in a European fixture, but he is selected because I had complete confidence in him to do his normal game. "Thiago will continue to get opportunities with the first team. It is delightful to coach a talent like him." A Future International Decision Pitarch was born in Fuenlabrada, in the Madrid region, and was raised deeply involved in Spanish football, moving through local academies 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 international regulations, players may represent multiple nations at youth level without being locked in, with the ultimate choice only binding once they play in a official senior international match. Pitarch has featured for Spain at youth level, representing both the under-19 and under-20 teams, and took part in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where Spain reached the last eight. Despite this, he has not yet decided to any full national side, who are monitoring his rise with keen attention. Speaking recently, Pitarch confirmed: "I have not taken my final decision so far. My situation is great with Spain, but I'll make a decision in the near future." This scenario echoes that of other dual nationality players such as club colleague Brahim Diaz and Barcelona forward Yamal. Whereas 18-year-old Yamal opted for Spain, Brahim decided to represent the Atlas Lions. Focus on the Future At present, his attention is on making his mark in the Madrid lineup and rewarding his manager's belief. He played over an hour in the 2-1 win at the Etihad, which sealed a five-one overall triumph and a quarter-final matchup with Bayern Munich. He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored Arbeloa's trust in the next generation to aid the team 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 handles me the same. We deal with it very naturally. I attempt not to overanalyze it excessively - I have to deserve my minutes on the field," he commented following the success at Manchester.