The Reason Los Blancos Have 'Utter Confidence' in Youngster Pitarch

When an 18-year-old creates club history in a pivotal European tie against Manchester City, it inevitably draws praise and the spotlight.

During his first start in the competition - and fifth game for the club - the young midfielder made a strong impression as the 15-time European champions secured a three-nil round of 16 first-leg advantage at the Bernabeu.

The young player, who also had his club debut in the play-off round a few weeks prior with a substitute appearance at Benfica, then assisted Los Blancos overcome the English champions in Tuesday's second leg to secure a quarter-final berth.

Aged 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder was the team's most youthful starter to begin two matches in the Champions League knockout stages, beating star Vini Jr's record by a week and a half.

A Meteoric Rise From The Academy

The midfielder is the latest to come through from the club's academy and is rapidly cementing himself as one of Alvaro Arbeloa's most exciting protegees.

He signed for Real from Leganes in 2023, having previously been with Atletico Madrid and Getafe youth teams, and initially featuring for the Juvenil C team, where he rapidly created a strong impression.

Pitarch progressed to the B team and it was in a pre-season game in which they played against the academy's first team, then coached by Arbeloa, where the youngster is said to have caught the attention of the present manager, who took over from the previous coach in the new year.

Reports would later label the moment as "an instant connection," adding Pitarch stood out not only for his technical ability, but for the energy, personality and drive he brought to the side.

'His Greatest Quality Remains His Personality'

During the pre-season of 2025, former boss Alonso called up the youngster to train with the first team and awarded him minutes during the warm-up matches.

Yet, it was the change in manager that proved the turning point in his development as he came on as a late substitute in both ties against the Portuguese side that led to the meeting with Pep Guardiola's team.

"I have dreamed of this every night before going to bed, the first day I began playing the game, every day you go to train and every day you have a game," said Pitarch following his first appearance.

"I have just achieved my ambition with the best team in the world and in the best competition."

Given a starting debut in La Liga against Getafe - where he spent four years after moving from Atletico in 2018 - he has retained his place for the next four as injuries to Bellingham and Ceballos created an opening.

Pitarch has taken it with performances that have defied his age and experience.

"He is a extremely fast player, and you can observe what he's capable of," said the coach. "He's incredibly dynamic, with excellent endurance, effort and movement."

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

"His standout trait is his character," added Arbeloa. "He constantly demands the possession, and when pressed, he doesn't feel it.

"I understand people are surprised to see him start in a European fixture, but he's playing because I had complete trust in him to perform his normal game.

"He will keep receiving chances with the first team. It is delightful to coach a player like him."

Spain or Morocco?

Pitarch was born in Fuenlabrada, in the Madrid region, and was raised deeply involved in the local game, moving through youth setups before joining Real Madrid's renowned youth academy.

He holds both Spanish and Moroccan citizenship, giving him the option to play for either country at the highest level.

Under Fifa eligibility rules, footballers may appear for multiple nations at junior level without being permanently tied, with the final decision only binding once they appear in a competitive senior international match.

Pitarch has played for Spain at underage levels, turning out for both the under-19 and under-20 sides, and took part in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where La Roja reached the last eight.

Nevertheless, he has yet to commit to any full national side, who are monitoring his progress with interest.

In a recent interview, the player said: "I haven't made my final decision yet. My situation is great with Spain, but I'll make a decision soon."

His situation echoes that of other bi-national players such as Real team-mate Brahim Diaz and Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal. Whereas 18-year-old Yamal opted for La Roja, Brahim opted to play for Morocco.

Eyes on the Prize

At present, his attention is on establishing himself in the Madrid lineup and rewarding his manager's belief.

He featured for over an hour in the 2-1 victory at City, which completed a five-one overall triumph and a last-eight matchup with Bayern Munich.

His substitution by fellow youth graduate in Manuel Angel underscored the coach's confidence in younger players to aid the club chase future success.

After his notable contributions to date on European football's biggest stage, Pitarch is expected to be a central figure in that.

"The manager handles me the same. We deal with it very naturally. I try not to overanalyze it too much - I must earn my playing time on the pitch," he commented after the success at Etihad Stadium.