Shortly after that trial match, Arbeloa promoted Pitarch to the U19s and gave him his first appearances in the Youth League. Then last summer, when Arbeloa was promoted to coach of the second team (Castilla), he took Pitarch with him and made him a regular in the Spanish third division. "The way he always wants the ball, how he keeps it under pressure and always looks for the best solution," Arbeloa highlighted Pitarch's standout qualities. "He makes the right contacts, moves well, makes himself available."
Playing in central midfield for Castilla, Pitarch gained valuable experience in adult football in the first half of the season. Arbeloa's predecessor, Xabi Alonso, occasionally included the Spanish junior international – who, incidentally, could also play for Morocco due to his roots – in his squad, but did not let him play yet. Arbeloa did so for the first time a few weeks ago against Benfica, followed by another brief appearance in the return leg against the Portuguese side at the beginning of March in the league against Getafe (0-1), then Pitarch's first start.
The youngster naturally benefited from Real's current injury problems in midfield: Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos have been out of action in recent weeks, and most recently Eduardo Camavinga also had to sit out due to dental problems. The latter was fit to play again against City, but Arbeloa once again put his trust in Pitarch, who he took off after 76 minutes.
Arbeloa does not see the teenager as just a stopgap, but wants to give him playing time even when the personnel situation eases again in the near future. When asked whether Pitarch is the present and future of the Royals, the coach replied succinctly: "Yes."
Pitarch's performance against City in particular reinforced this backing and raised an interesting question: does Real perhaps already have the new midfield strategist, who is expected to arrive late following the departures of Toni Kroos (retiring in 2024) and Luka Modric (moving to Milan in 2025), in its own ranks? Of course, it is still far too early to answer this question conclusively. But it was nevertheless remarkable that Pitarch outshone Rodri, the world star that Real allegedly wants to snap up for its midfield in the summer, in a direct duel.