🔗 Share this article The Reason Real Madrid Possess 'Utter Faith' in Youngster Thiago Pitarch The teenager has featured in seven games for the Spanish giants, featuring five starts. Whenever a teenage creates Real Madrid history in a pivotal European match against City, it inevitably draws acclaim and attention. During his maiden start in the tournament - and fifth game for the club - the young midfielder made a strong impression as the fifteen-time Champions League winners claimed a three-nil round of 16 first-leg lead at the Santiago Bernabeu. The teenager, who also made his Real debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then helped Los Blancos defeat the English champions in Tuesday's second leg to confirm a quarter-final berth. Aged 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder became the club's youngest player to start twice in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's previous mark by a week and a half. A Meteoric Rise Through La Fabrica This talent is the most recent to emerge from the famed youth system and is rapidly cementing himself as one of the manager's most exciting young players. He signed for Madrid from Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe's youth teams, and starting out for the under-19 side, where he quickly made a positive impact. Pitarch progressed to the reserve side and it was during a pre-season game in which they faced the academy's first team, then coached by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have caught the attention of the present manager, who replaced Xabi Alonso in the new year. Reports would later label the moment as "an instant connection," adding Pitarch excelled 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 pre-season of 2025, ex-manager Xabi Alonso invited the youngster to train with the first team and awarded him playing time during pre-season. Yet, it was the change in manager that proved the defining moment in his career as he came on as a late substitute in each leg against the Portuguese side that set up the clash with Manchester City. "I've dreamed of this every night when sleeping, the very first time I started playing football, every day you go to train and every day you play a match," stated Pitarch after his first appearance. "I have just fulfilled my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the top tournament." Handed a first start in the Spanish league against his former club - where he was for four years after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has kept his place for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Dani Ceballos provided an opportunity. The teenager has taken it with performances that have defied his youth and experience. "He is a extremely fast player, and you can observe his capabilities," remarked the coach. "He is incredibly energetic, with excellent endurance, work-rate and mobility." Pitarch's mentality has also stood out to his coach. "His standout trait is his personality," added he. "He constantly demands the ball, and even under pressure, he doesn't feel it. "I realize fans might be astonished to watch him make his debut in a European fixture, but he is selected because I had complete trust in him to perform his normal game. "Thiago will keep receiving chances with the first team. It is delightful to have a player like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and grew up fully immersed in the local game, moving through local academies before entering Real Madrid's famous La Fabrica system. He possesses both Moroccan and Spanish citizenship, offering him the choice to play for either country at senior international level. Under international regulations, footballers may appear for multiple nations at junior level without being locked in, with the final decision only binding once they play in a official senior international match. Pitarch has played for Spain at underage levels, turning out for both the under-19 and U20 sides, and took part in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where La Roja made it to the last eight. Despite this, he has not yet decided to any full national side, who are watching his rise with keen attention. Speaking recently, the player said: "I have not taken my ultimate choice yet. Things are great with Spain, but I will reach a decision in the near future." His situation echoes that of other bi-national talents such as club colleague Brahim Diaz and Barca star Yamal. While 18-year-old Lamine chose La Roja, Brahim decided to represent the Atlas Lions. Focus on the Future At present, Pitarch's focus is on making his mark in the Madrid lineup and repaying 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 Bayern Munich. He was replaced by fellow youth graduate in Angel to emphasise the coach's confidence in the next generation to aid the team chase future success. Following his notable contributions to date on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is expected to play a key role in that. "The manager handles me the identical way. We deal with it very naturally. I try not to overanalyze it excessively - I have to deserve my minutes on the pitch," he said after the success at Etihad Stadium.
The teenager has featured in seven games for the Spanish giants, featuring five starts. Whenever a teenage creates Real Madrid history in a pivotal European match against City, it inevitably draws acclaim and attention. During his maiden start in the tournament - and fifth game for the club - the young midfielder made a strong impression as the fifteen-time Champions League winners claimed a three-nil round of 16 first-leg lead at the Santiago Bernabeu. The teenager, who also made his Real debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then helped Los Blancos defeat the English champions in Tuesday's second leg to confirm a quarter-final berth. Aged 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder became the club's youngest player to start twice in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's previous mark by a week and a half. A Meteoric Rise Through La Fabrica This talent is the most recent to emerge from the famed youth system and is rapidly cementing himself as one of the manager's most exciting young players. He signed for Madrid from Leganes in the summer of 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe's youth teams, and starting out for the under-19 side, where he quickly made a positive impact. Pitarch progressed to the reserve side and it was during a pre-season game in which they faced the academy's first team, then coached by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have caught the attention of the present manager, who replaced Xabi Alonso in the new year. Reports would later label the moment as "an instant connection," adding Pitarch excelled 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 pre-season of 2025, ex-manager Xabi Alonso invited the youngster to train with the first team and awarded him playing time during pre-season. Yet, it was the change in manager that proved the defining moment in his career as he came on as a late substitute in each leg against the Portuguese side that set up the clash with Manchester City. "I've dreamed of this every night when sleeping, the very first time I started playing football, every day you go to train and every day you play a match," stated Pitarch after his first appearance. "I have just fulfilled my ambition with the best team in the planet and in the top tournament." Handed a first start in the Spanish league against his former club - where he was for four years after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has kept his place for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Dani Ceballos provided an opportunity. The teenager has taken it with performances that have defied his youth and experience. "He is a extremely fast player, and you can observe his capabilities," remarked the coach. "He is incredibly energetic, with excellent endurance, work-rate and mobility." Pitarch's mentality has also stood out to his coach. "His standout trait is his personality," added he. "He constantly demands the ball, and even under pressure, he doesn't feel it. "I realize fans might be astonished to watch him make his debut in a European fixture, but he is selected because I had complete trust in him to perform his normal game. "Thiago will keep receiving chances with the first team. It is delightful to have a player like him." A Future International Decision Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and grew up fully immersed in the local game, moving through local academies before entering Real Madrid's famous La Fabrica system. He possesses both Moroccan and Spanish citizenship, offering him the choice to play for either country at senior international level. Under international regulations, footballers may appear for multiple nations at junior level without being locked in, with the final decision only binding once they play in a official senior international match. Pitarch has played for Spain at underage levels, turning out for both the under-19 and U20 sides, and took part in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where La Roja made it to the last eight. Despite this, he has not yet decided to any full national side, who are watching his rise with keen attention. Speaking recently, the player said: "I have not taken my ultimate choice yet. Things are great with Spain, but I will reach a decision in the near future." His situation echoes that of other bi-national talents such as club colleague Brahim Diaz and Barca star Yamal. While 18-year-old Lamine chose La Roja, Brahim decided to represent the Atlas Lions. Focus on the Future At present, Pitarch's focus is on making his mark in the Madrid lineup and repaying 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 Bayern Munich. He was replaced by fellow youth graduate in Angel to emphasise the coach's confidence in the next generation to aid the team chase future success. Following his notable contributions to date on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is expected to play a key role in that. "The manager handles me the identical way. We deal with it very naturally. I try not to overanalyze it excessively - I have to deserve my minutes on the pitch," he said after the success at Etihad Stadium.