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

When an teenage creates Real Madrid a historic moment in a pivotal Champions League tie against Manchester City, it naturally attracts acclaim and attention.

In only his maiden 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 last-16 first-leg advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The teenager, who also had his club debut in the qualifying round a month ago with a substitute appearance at Sporting Lisbon, then helped the Madrid side overcome the English Premier League side in Tuesday's return to secure a last eight place.

Aged 18 years and 226 days, the midfielder was the club's youngest player to start twice in the Champions League knockout stages, surpassing star Vinicius Jr's previous mark by a week and a half.

Rapid Ascent Through The Academy

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

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

He worked his way up to the reserve side and it was in a pre-season game in which they played against 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 took over from the previous coach in the new year.

Reports would later label the moment as "an instant connection," adding he stood out not only for his skill on the ball, but for the energy, personality and drive he brought to the team.

'His Greatest Quality Is His Character'

During the summer of 2025, former boss Xabi Alonso called up the youngster to practice with the senior squad and awarded him playing time in pre-season.

Yet, it was Arbeloa's appointment that became the defining moment in his career as he came on 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 each night when sleeping, the first day I began playing football, each day you head to training and each day you have a game," stated Pitarch after his debut.

"I have just achieved my ambition with the greatest club in the planet and in the best competition."

Handed a starting debut in La Liga against Getafe - where he was for several seasons after moving from Atleti in 2018 - he has retained his spot for the following four as fitness issues to Bellingham and Dani Ceballos created an opening.

Pitarch has taken it with displays that have defied his age and inexperience.

"He's a extremely fast footballer, and you can observe his capabilities," said Arbeloa. "He's extremely dynamic, with great stamina, effort and mobility."

The player's mindset has also stood out to his coach.

"His greatest quality is his personality," added Arbeloa. "He constantly demands the possession, and even under pressure, he remains unfazed.

"I understand fans might be astonished to see him start in a European fixture, but he's playing because I had total trust in him to perform what he usually does.

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

Spain or Morocco?

Born in a Madrid suburb, in the Spanish capital's community, and was raised deeply involved in Spanish football, moving through youth setups before joining Real Madrid's renowned youth academy.

He possesses dual Spanish and Moroccan nationality, giving him the option to play for either country at senior international level.

Under Fifa eligibility rules, footballers may appear for different countries at junior level without being permanently tied, with the ultimate choice only final once they play in a official full international.

He has played for the Spanish national team at underage levels, turning out for both the under-19 and U20 sides, and participated in the 2025 Youth World Cup, where Spain reached the last eight.

Despite this, he has yet to commit to any senior national team, who are watching his rise with interest.

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

This scenario mirrors that of other bi-national talents such as Real team-mate Brahim Diaz and Barca star Lamine Yamal. Whereas teenage Yamal chose La Roja, Brahim opted to play for Morocco.

Eyes on the Prize

For now, Pitarch's focus is on establishing himself in the Madrid lineup and repaying his manager's belief.

He featured for 74 minutes in the 2-1 win at the Etihad, which sealed a five-one overall triumph and a quarter-final matchup with Bayern Munich.

He was replaced by another academy player in Manuel Angel to emphasise Arbeloa's trust in the next generation to help the club chase trophies to come.

After his notable contributions to date on European football's biggest stage, the midfielder is tipped to play a key role in that.

"The manager handles me the identical way. We handle it very normally. I try not to overanalyze it too much - I have to earn my minutes on the pitch," he commented after the success at Etihad Stadium.