This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. In the match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, the hero was Fede Valverde with his three goals, the savior was Courtois with his great interventions, but beyond them, the main protagonist was Thiago Pitarch, who delivered an excellent performance and confirms the emergence of a new star in football. Thiago is only 18 years old and becomes the youngest player to start for Real Madrid in a Champions League match, breaking the record previously held by Raúl. With the team's significant injury crisis, which has now worsened with Mendy's injury, Álvaro Arbeloa had no choice but to bring in young players he was familiar with from his time coaching the reserve team, Castilla. Half a dozen of them have already had the opportunity to debut with the first team, but Thiago is the best of them all; he has secured a place in midfield and has a bright future ahead. When he was still very young, Thiago took his first steps in football at Atlético de Madrid's youth academy, then moved to Getafe, and after three years ended up at another Madrid club, Leganés. Benfica scouts were after him, and in the summer of 2023, they got even closer. Upon learning of the Portuguese club's interest, Real Madrid decided to act quickly to sign him before it was too late. "When I found out Real wanted me, I didn't hesitate for a minute and said yes right away," the player recently revealed. Once in the club's youth system, Pitarch started in the B team, moved up to the A team, then to the reserve team, Castilla, and from there, always under Arbeloa's guidance, he jumped to the first team, making his debut playing a short time in the first leg of the playoff in Lisbon at the stadium that could have been his, facing the team, Benfica, that could have been his, and he faced the Eagles again at the Bernabéu. He accumulated twenty minutes on the field in the two matches until this week’s challenge against Manchester City, where he started in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. The fans applauded his good plays and stood up, chanting his name when he was substituted. "It was an unforgettable moment; I got chills like never before," he confessed. Thiago Pitarch took time to find his ideal position on the field. He played as a defender, midfielder, forward, everything but a goalkeeper until Arbeloa turned him into an interior player who works hard in midfield, helps in defense, and appears in attack—a complete player with great physical power, enormous talent, a lot of bravery, and a personality almost unusual for his age. "I can't pronounce his name, but I was impressed by the way he plays; it's spectacular," said Thierry Henry, commenting on his performance against Pep Guardiola's team. Thiago has already represented Spain at the youth levels, but with Moroccan blood from his grandmother, the Moroccan Federation, just like it did with fellow Real player Brahim Díaz, is trying to attract him by suggesting that he could be part of the national team that will participate in the next World Cup. The young footballer will have to decide which national team he wants to play for, whether it be Morocco or Spain. With so many injured players, Arbeloa had the courage to introduce not only Thiago but also other young players like Manuel Ángel, César Palácios, David Jiménez, Joan Martínez, Jorge Cesteros, and Daniel Mesonero into the first team. All have immense quality, but Thiago Pitarch is the crown jewel of a youth academy that had been forgotten but that Arbeloa has revived.
Thiago Pitarch Real Madrid remains central to this story.
Thiago Pitarch Real Madrid remains central to this story.
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