Why Los Blancos Possess 'Total Trust' in Teenager Pitarch

Whenever a 18-year-old creates club history in a crucial European tie against City, it naturally attracts acclaim and attention.

During his maiden start in the tournament - and fifth game for the team - the young midfielder made a strong impression as the 15-time European champions secured a three-nil last-16 first-leg lead at the Bernabeu.

The teenager, who also made his Real debut in the qualifying round a few weeks prior with a cameo off the bench at Benfica, then assisted the Madrid side defeat the English Premier League side in Tuesday's second leg to secure a quarter-final place.

Aged 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder was the team's youngest player to start twice in the Champions League's latter rounds, beating star Vini Jr's previous mark by a week and a half.

A Meteoric Rise Through La Fabrica

This talent is the most recent to come through from the famed youth system and is rapidly cementing himself as one of the manager's most promising young players.

He signed for Real from CD Leganes in 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe youth teams, and starting out for the Juvenil C team, where he quickly made a strong impression.

He worked his way up to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they faced the academy's first team, then managed by Arbeloa, where the teenager is said to have caught the attention of the current Real boss, who replaced the previous coach in January.

Reports would later describe the moment as "love at first sight," noting Pitarch excelled not only for his skill on the ball, but for the energy, character and drive he added to the side.

'His Best Attribute Remains His Character'

In the pre-season of 2025, former boss Xabi Alonso invited Pitarch to practice with the senior squad and awarded him minutes during pre-season.

However, it was the change in manager that proved the defining moment in his career as he was introduced as a second-half replacement in both ties against Benfica that led to the clash with Pep Guardiola's team.

"I've dreamed of this every night when sleeping, the very first time I started playing the game, every day you go to train and each day you play a match," said the player after his debut.

"I have just achieved my dream with the best team in the world and in the top tournament."

Handed a first start in La Liga against his former club - where he was for four years after moving from Atletico in 2018 - he has kept his spot for the following four as fitness issues to Jude Bellingham and Ceballos provided an opportunity.

The teenager has seized it with displays that have belied his youth and inexperience.

"He's a extremely fast footballer, and you can observe his capabilities," said the coach. "He's incredibly dynamic, with excellent endurance, effort and mobility."

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

"His greatest quality is his personality," added Arbeloa. "He always wants the ball, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed.

"I understand fans might be surprised to see him make his debut in a Champions League match, but he's playing because I had complete trust in him to perform his normal game.

"Thiago will keep receiving opportunities with the main squad. It is delightful to have a talent like him."

Spain or Morocco?

Born in Fuenlabrada, in the Madrid region, and was raised deeply involved in the local game, progressing through youth setups before joining Real Madrid's renowned La Fabrica system.

He holds both Moroccan and Spanish citizenship, giving him the choice to represent either country at the highest level.

According to international regulations, footballers may appear for multiple nations at junior level without being locked in, with the final decision only binding once they appear in a official senior international match.

He has featured for the Spanish national team at youth level, representing both the under-19 and under-20 sides, and took part in the 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup, where Spain made it to the last eight.

Despite this, he has not yet decided to any full national side, who are monitoring his progress with keen attention.

Speaking recently, Pitarch confirmed: "I haven't made my ultimate choice so far. My situation is great with the Spanish federation, but I'll make a conclusion in the near future."

His situation mirrors that of other bi-national players such as Real team-mate Brahim Diaz and Barcelona forward Yamal. Whereas teenage Yamal opted for La Roja, Diaz opted to play for the Atlas Lions.

Focus on the Future

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

He played over an hour in the 2-1 victory at the Etihad, which sealed a 5-1 aggregate success and a quarter-final matchup with Bayern Munich.

He was replaced by fellow youth graduate in Angel underscored the coach's confidence in younger players to help the club chase trophies to come.

After his notable contributions so far on the Champions League, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that.

"Arbeloa treats me the identical way. We deal with it very naturally. I attempt not to think about it excessively - I must earn my minutes on the pitch," he commented following the success at Manchester.