Why Real Madrid Have 'Utter Faith' in Teenager Pitarch

Whenever a teenage creates club history in a crucial European tie against City, it naturally attracts praise and attention.

During his first start in the tournament - and fifth appearance for the team - the young midfielder made a strong impression as the fifteen-time European champions secured a 3-0 last-16 first-leg advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The young player, who also had his Real debut in the play-off round a few weeks prior with a cameo off the bench at Sporting Lisbon, then assisted the Madrid side overcome the English champions in Tuesday's return to secure a quarter-final place.

At 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder became the team's most youthful starter to begin two matches in the Champions League knockout stages, beating star Vinicius Jr's previous mark by 10 days.

A Meteoric Rise Through 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 promising protegees.

He joined Real from CD Leganes in 2023, having formerly spent time at Atletico and Getafe academies, and starting out for the Juvenil C team, where he rapidly created a strong impression.

Pitarch worked his way up to the reserve side and it was in a friendly match in which they played against the academy's first team, then managed by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have caught the attention of the current Real boss, who took over from the previous coach in January.

Reports would later label the moment as "an instant connection," noting Pitarch excelled not only for his technical ability, but for the vitality, character and drive he brought to the team.

'His Greatest Quality Remains His Personality'

During the pre-season of 2025, former boss Alonso called up Pitarch to practice with the first team and gave him minutes in the warm-up matches.

However, it was the change in manager that proved the turning point in his career as he came on as a second-half replacement in both ties against Benfica that set up the meeting with Pep Guardiola's team.

"I have dreamed of this every night when sleeping, the very first time I began playing football, each day you go to train and each day you have a game," stated the player following his debut.

"I've just fulfilled my dream with the greatest club in the planet and in the top tournament."

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 kept his spot for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos created an opening.

The teenager has seized it with performances that have defied his age and experience.

"He is a very quick footballer, and you can observe what he's capable of," remarked Arbeloa. "He's incredibly dynamic, with excellent endurance, work-rate and movement."

Pitarch's mentality has also stood out to his manager.

"His standout trait is his personality," continued Arbeloa. "He always wants the possession, and when pressed, he doesn't feel it.

"I realize fans might be astonished to see him start in a Champions League match, but he's playing because I had total confidence in him to do his normal game.

"Thiago will keep receiving opportunities with the main squad. It's a pleasure to coach a player like him."

A Future International Decision

Pitarch was born in a Madrid suburb, in the Madrid region, and grew up fully immersed in the local game, moving through youth setups before joining Real Madrid's famous La Fabrica system.

He holds dual Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, offering him the option to play for either country at senior international level.

Under Fifa eligibility rules, footballers may represent different countries at youth level without being permanently tied, with the ultimate choice only final once they appear in a competitive senior international match.

He has played for Spain at underage levels, turning out for both the U19 and U20 teams, and participated 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 any senior national team, who are monitoring his progress with keen attention.

In a recent interview, the player confirmed: "I haven't made my final decision yet. Things are great with Spain, but I'll make a conclusion soon."

This scenario mirrors that of other bi-national players such as club colleague Diaz and Barca star Yamal. While 18-year-old Lamine chose Spain, Diaz decided to represent Morocco.

Eyes on the Prize

For now, his attention is on making his mark in the Real side and rewarding his manager's belief.

He featured for 74 minutes in the two-one win at City, which completed a 5-1 overall triumph and a quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich.

He was replaced by another academy player in Angel to emphasise Arbeloa's trust in younger players to aid the team chase trophies to come.

Following his notable contributions so far on the Champions League, the midfielder is tipped to be a central figure in that.

"The manager handles me the identical way. We handle it very normally. I attempt not to think about it excessively - I must earn my minutes on the pitch," he commented following the success at Etihad Stadium.