Pitarch's promotion: Madrid's midfield gem moves up the ranks
Real Madrid's rising star Thiago Pitarch officially promoted to Castilla squad after impressing Arbeloa and training with the first team throughout the season.
Young midfielder making serious waves at Valdebebas as the club formalizes his step up to the reserve team.
Promotion confirmed
Real Madrid are set to formalize Thiago Pitarch’s promotion to Castilla, making official what has been happening in practice since pre-season. The talented midfielder, though technically registered with Juvenil A (U19s), has been training with Castilla since summer and will now officially join the reserve team’s squad.
This represents a significant vote of confidence in one of the most exciting talents to emerge from La Fábrica this season. Despite the administrative promotion, Pitarch will still be eligible to represent Juvenil A in the UEFA Youth League - similar to teammates Fortea, Yáñez, Aguado, Rivas and Joan Martínez. However, he’ll no longer be available for other Juvenil A competitions or Real Madrid C fixtures, having made a couple of appearances at that level earlier in the campaign.
First-team exposure
Pitarch’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric since his breakthrough under Arbeloa during Castilla’s summer preparations. The midfielder’s development has been rapid enough to catch the eye at the highest level, resulting in:
- Regular invitations to train with the first team
- Inclusion in 11 official first-team matchday squads
- Travel with the senior squad to the Spanish Super Cup
Interestingly, since Arbeloa himself - Pitarch’s biggest advocate - moved up to the first team, the youngster hasn’t appeared in any senior matchday squads. This appears to be a deliberate strategy to allow him to establish himself properly at Castilla level and regain playing rhythm after spending considerable time with the first team without actual match minutes.
For Madrid’s academy watchers, this promotion is just another sign that the club sees something special in the Adam’s apple of their eye. The pathway from Castilla to first-team football at Madrid remains as challenging as ever, but Pitarch is certainly one to keep tabs on.