🔗 Share this article Why Los Blancos Possess 'Total Confidence' in Teenager Thiago Pitarch Thiago Pitarch has played seven matches for the Spanish giants, featuring five appearances in the starting lineup. When an teenage creates Real Madrid a historic moment in a key European tie against City, it naturally attracts acclaim and the spotlight. During his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the club - Thiago Pitarch suitably impressed as the 15-time European champions claimed a 3-0 last-16 first-leg advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu. The teenager, who also had his club debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Benfica, then assisted the Madrid side defeat the English Premier League side in the midweek return to secure a last eight berth. Aged 18 years and 226 days, Pitarch became the team's youngest player to begin two matches in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing star Vini Jr's record by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise Through The Academy This talent is the most recent to come through from the famed youth system and is quickly establishing himself as one of the manager's most exciting protegees. He joined Real from Leganes in the summer of 2023, having formerly spent time at Atletico Madrid and Getafe youth teams, and starting out for the Juvenil C team, where he rapidly created a positive impact. He worked his way up to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they played against the senior squad, then managed by Arbeloa, where the teenager is said to have drawn the eye 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 technical ability, but for the energy, personality and determination he added to the side. 'His Best Attribute Is His Character' In the pre-season of 2025, ex-manager Alonso called up Pitarch to practice with the senior squad and awarded him minutes during the warm-up matches. Yet, it was the change in manager that proved the turning point in his career as he came on as a second-half replacement in each leg against Benfica that set up the meeting with Manchester City. "I've dreamed of this every night before going to bed, the very first time I started playing the game, each day you go to train and every day you have a game," stated the player following his debut. "I have just fulfilled my dream with the best team in the planet and in the best competition." Given a first start in the Spanish league against his former club - where he spent several seasons after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has retained his spot for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos created an opening. The teenager has taken it with performances that have belied his youth and experience. "He's a extremely fast footballer, and you can see what he's capable of," remarked Arbeloa. "He is incredibly dynamic, with excellent stamina, work-rate and mobility." Pitarch's mentality has also impressed his coach. "His standout trait is his character," added Arbeloa. "He constantly demands the possession, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I realize fans might be surprised to watch him make his debut in a European fixture, but he's playing because I had complete confidence in him to do his normal game. "He will keep receiving chances with the first team. It's a pleasure to have a talent like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and was raised deeply involved in the local game, moving through local academies before entering the club's renowned La Fabrica system. He possesses both Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the choice to play for both nations at the highest level. Under international regulations, 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 senior international match. Pitarch has played for Spain at underage levels, turning out for both the U19 and U20 teams, and took part in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where La Roja made it to the quarter-finals. Despite this, he has not yet decided to either senior national team, who are watching his progress with keen attention. In a recent interview, Pitarch confirmed: "I haven't made my final decision yet. My situation is positive with Spain, but I will reach a decision soon." His situation mirrors that of other bi-national players such as club colleague Diaz and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. Whereas teenage Yamal chose La Roja, Brahim opted to represent Morocco. Focus on the Future For now, his attention is on making his mark in the Real side and rewarding Arbeloa's faith. He featured for over an hour in the two-one win at City, which completed a five-one aggregate success and a last-eight tie with the German champions. His substitution by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored Arbeloa's trust in younger players to help the club chase future success. After his notable contributions so far on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that. "The manager treats me the identical way. We handle it very normally. I attempt not to overanalyze it excessively - I must earn my minutes on the field," he said following the success at Etihad Stadium.
Thiago Pitarch has played seven matches for the Spanish giants, featuring five appearances in the starting lineup. When an teenage creates Real Madrid a historic moment in a key European tie against City, it naturally attracts acclaim and the spotlight. During his first start in the competition - and fifth appearance for the club - Thiago Pitarch suitably impressed as the 15-time European champions claimed a 3-0 last-16 first-leg advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu. The teenager, who also had his club debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Benfica, then assisted the Madrid side defeat the English Premier League side in the midweek return to secure a last eight berth. Aged 18 years and 226 days, Pitarch became the team's youngest player to begin two matches in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing star Vini Jr's record by 10 days. A Meteoric Rise Through The Academy This talent is the most recent to come through from the famed youth system and is quickly establishing himself as one of the manager's most exciting protegees. He joined Real from Leganes in the summer of 2023, having formerly spent time at Atletico Madrid and Getafe youth teams, and starting out for the Juvenil C team, where he rapidly created a positive impact. He worked his way up to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they played against the senior squad, then managed by Arbeloa, where the teenager is said to have drawn the eye 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 technical ability, but for the energy, personality and determination he added to the side. 'His Best Attribute Is His Character' In the pre-season of 2025, ex-manager Alonso called up Pitarch to practice with the senior squad and awarded him minutes during the warm-up matches. Yet, it was the change in manager that proved the turning point in his career as he came on as a second-half replacement in each leg against Benfica that set up the meeting with Manchester City. "I've dreamed of this every night before going to bed, the very first time I started playing the game, each day you go to train and every day you have a game," stated the player following his debut. "I have just fulfilled my dream with the best team in the planet and in the best competition." Given a first start in the Spanish league against his former club - where he spent several seasons after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has retained his spot for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos created an opening. The teenager has taken it with performances that have belied his youth and experience. "He's a extremely fast footballer, and you can see what he's capable of," remarked Arbeloa. "He is incredibly dynamic, with excellent stamina, work-rate and mobility." Pitarch's mentality has also impressed his coach. "His standout trait is his character," added Arbeloa. "He constantly demands the possession, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed. "I realize fans might be surprised to watch him make his debut in a European fixture, but he's playing because I had complete confidence in him to do his normal game. "He will keep receiving chances with the first team. It's a pleasure to have a talent like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and was raised deeply involved in the local game, moving through local academies before entering the club's renowned La Fabrica system. He possesses both Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the choice to play for both nations at the highest level. Under international regulations, 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 senior international match. Pitarch has played for Spain at underage levels, turning out for both the U19 and U20 teams, and took part in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where La Roja made it to the quarter-finals. Despite this, he has not yet decided to either senior national team, who are watching his progress with keen attention. In a recent interview, Pitarch confirmed: "I haven't made my final decision yet. My situation is positive with Spain, but I will reach a decision soon." His situation mirrors that of other bi-national players such as club colleague Diaz and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. Whereas teenage Yamal chose La Roja, Brahim opted to represent Morocco. Focus on the Future For now, his attention is on making his mark in the Real side and rewarding Arbeloa's faith. He featured for over an hour in the two-one win at City, which completed a five-one aggregate success and a last-eight tie with the German champions. His substitution by another academy player in Manuel Angel underscored Arbeloa's trust in younger players to help the club chase future success. After his notable contributions so far on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that. "The manager treats me the identical way. We handle it very normally. I attempt not to overanalyze it excessively - I must earn my minutes on the field," he said following the success at Etihad Stadium.