Thread by @FabricaMadrid

⚪️✨ 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓: THIAGO PITARCH

✨ A smart, graceful, and quietly fierce midfielder from La Fábrica. Energetic, agile, he’s constantly in motion, linking phases, offering solutions, and keeping the game flowing with intensity and purpose.

🧵 [THREAD]

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄:

👤 Name: Thiago Pitarch
🛡️ Team: Juvenil A (U19)/Castilla
🎂 Age: 18
↕️ Height: 1’77 m
🌍 Country: 🇪🇸🇲🇦
👣 Prefereed foot: Right
📍 Position: CM
💰 Market value: —
✍️ Contract Until: 30 June 2027
👉 Similar type of players*: Vitinha, Pedri & Kovacic
🌟 Potential: 8.25/10

* ⚠️ I'm talking about player profiles and playing styles. Not levels. That seems clear to me, but I prefer to mention it in case it's not clear to some people.

Thiago Pitarch joined Real Madrid in 2023 from Leganés. At first, you could sense his quality — but only in flashes.

During his first months with Juvenil B (U18), he showed glimpses. There were moments. But consistency? Still out of reach.

That all changed when Arbeloa promoted him to Juvenil A. Since that call-up, Pitarch has levelled up. He’s become more reliable, more complete — and eventually nailed down a starting spot in Juvenil A’s midfield.

Arbeloa trusted him again for Castilla’s pre-season. Against both Marbella and Racing Ferrol, Pitarch played all 90 minutes — and looked fully at home.

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There’s a certain calmness when Pitarch is on the pitch. Not the kind that looks passive — but the kind that lets everyone else breathe. He plays at his own pace, not because he slows the game down, but because he controls it.

The way he moves, receives, passes and positions himself sets the tone for everything around him. He often checks his surroundings. When he receives the ball, he already knows what comes next — and often what comes after that too.

His body orientation is clean. His positioning is natural. His angles are intelligent. These little details build up over 90 minutes and suddenly you realise: this player isn’t just in the game — he’s managing it.

Pitarch plays primarily as an interior (central midfiedler) in Real Madrid’s 4-3-3 — one of the free 8s, operating between lines, dropping deeper when needed, and always connecting phases.

He’s not anchored to the base like a traditional pivot, nor fixed between the lines like a classic playmaker. Instead, he floats between those spaces, always available, always in motion.

He doesn’t run for the sake of running. His movement is purposeful. If there’s a gap to exploit, he steps in. If the team needs width in the build-up, he pulls wide.

If the centre-backs need a third option under pressure, he drops. This adaptability makes him incredibly valuable in any possession structure.

What stands out most is how much responsibility he’s willing to take — not just when things are going well, but especially when they’re not.

If his team can’t progress, Pitarch drops in deeper, starts to dictate, gives the ball, gets it back. He doesn’t go hiding. He likes to take charge.

With the ball, he’s smooth — and often elegant. But it’s not always pure simplicity. At times, he does overcomplicate things — whether it’s an extra touch, a disguised pass that didn’t need disguising, or trying to outplay pressure when a quicker release was the better option.

He’s also got a good feel for progression. He doesn’t just circulate laterally. If there’s an opening, he’ll play forward. Not recklessly, but with intent.

On the ball, his body shape and balance stand out. He plays with his shoulders open, receives on the half-turn, and adjusts his posture quickly under pressure.

He’s got that soft body movement — the kind of midfielder who can turn on a sixpence and wriggle out of pressure.

Thiago Pitarch brings energy, dynamism and drive to the heart of midfield. He’s an intense, all-action player who doesn’t stop moving — always looking to push forward, carry the ball with purpose or attack space without it.

Technically clean and aggressive in his movements, he injects pace into the game, often playing on the front foot and helping his team progress through sharp ball carries or quick combinations.

He’s a good dribbler and he’s press-resistant. When opponents try to close him down in tight zones, he uses body feints, subtle shifts of weight, and little touches to glide away.

What stands out most is how he uses small feints, shoulder drops and his body orientation to create angles — or bait pressure and beat it.

His natural agility helps him stay balanced and unpredictable, allowing him to escape pressure and keep the ball moving. He can carry the ball through midfield in a controlled, almost effortless way.

When Thiago gets into the final third, his vision becomes one of his most useful tools. He has a good eye for runners, especially those coming from deeper positions, and he often spots gaps before they fully open.

He’s not the type to force the final ball every time, but when the opportunity is there, he usually sees it and plays it quickly and cleanly.

And it’s not just on the ball where he contributes. Pitarch is impressively sharp without possession too.

He reads pressing triggers well. He press wildly, but intelligently — often arriving just as the opponent is receiving, forcing a rushed touch or a back pass. His timing in the counter-press is excellent, and he often helps recover the ball higher up the pitch.

In defensive transitions, he reacts quickly. He doesn’t jog back — he sprints to cover. He’s constantly aware of where danger is developing and positions himself to cut lanes or slow down counter-attacks.

He’s not the biggest physically, but he’s competitive. He engages. He challenges. He bothers opponents in duels.

When defending in deeper zones, he stays switched on. Tracks runners. Covers space. Shifts with the block. He’s never going to be a pure defensive midfielder, but he does the work — and that’s what matters.

There’s also something about his mentality that makes you trust him. He’s not vocal in the traditional sense, but his body language demands the ball. He wants it.

Even under pressure, even when the game is tight, he keeps showing. He doesn’t hide. And he takes responsibility when others start to panic.

That quiet bravery is massive in a midfielder. Not everyone has it. It’s the kind of personality that can grow into a leader over time — not through shouting, but through reliability.

𝐓𝐎 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄:

Of course, like any young player, there are areas to develop. Let’s talk about them.

1) He can improve his first touch in specific situations, particularly when receiving the ball under pressure. There are moments where he appears slightly too relaxed or casual, which leads to a lack of focus when controlling the ball.

As a result, his first touch can be loose or imprecise, immediately putting him at a disadvantage and forcing him into reactive situations. Sharpening his concentration during ball reception would significantly reduce these lapses.

2) The weight and execution of his passing could use refinement. While he generally has good vision and the right intentions, he occasionally under-hits passes, especially when trying to play through tight lines or break opposition structure.

These technical inaccuracies can slow down attacking momentum or allow defenders to intercept. In addition, his decision-making in possession — particularly when choosing the type of pass or the timing — can be inconsistent.

At times, he opts for an ambitious pass when a simpler, more secure option would suffice. With further experience and tactical maturity, he should learn to better assess risk versus reward in possession and improve the tempo and conviction of his distribution.

3) He can be a bit reckless at times — overconfident in possession and prone to taking unnecessary risks, especially in deep or central areas where mistakes can be costly. His confidence in his technical ability sometimes leads him to overplay in the wrong zones, attempt risky dribbles, or delay releasing the ball.

While this boldness can occasionally open up play, it more often creates avoidable turnovers that put his team under pressure. He would benefit from adopting a slightly more conservative and pragmatic approach in key areas of the pitch.

A more calculated understanding of when to take risks — and when to play safe — will be crucial for his development at higher levels.

4) At times, he can be a bit too eager to press or push forward, which means he occasionally loses discipline in his defensive positioning.

Staying compact and timing his movements off the ball will be key as he steps up to higher levels.

Right now, Thiago’s doing pre-season with Castilla — and he’s showing real quality. So much so that Xabi Alonso called him up for a training session with the first team.

If he keeps this up, it’s clear he’ll feature regularly for Arbeloa’s Castilla side this season.

But it’s important to remember he’s still very young. There’s a long road ahead. Plenty to refine. No need to rush judgement or overhype.

The talent’s there. The foundations are solid. Now it’s all about patience, polish, and steady growth.

Thanks for reading. End of thread.