Thiago Pitarch of Real Madrid
Thiago Pitarch of Real Madrid
Thiago Pitarch continues to strengthen his reputation as one of Real Madrid’s most promising young midfielders.
One of Alvaro Arbeloa’s finds during his time as Madrid manager, Pitarch is yet to enjoy significant first-team minutes this season.
Spain Under-21 assistant coach Julian Lopez de Lerma has now highlighted the mentality behind his rapid progress.
Spain coach praises Pitarch mentality
Speaking to El Chiringuito’s Marcos Benito, Lopez de Lerma explained that the Madrid youngster requires very little motivation from the coaching staff because of the intensity with which he approaches every opportunity.
“I didn’t have to demand anything from him. I knew he was going to approach this match as if it were his last,” Lopez de Lerma said.
“Managing Thiago is very easy.”
These are encouraging words about the young Spaniard because they highlight more than his technical ability.
Thiago Pitarch, Real Madrid player
Lopez de Lerma has nothing but praise for Thiago Pitarch. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Young players attempting to establish themselves at the Bernabeu rarely suffer from a lack of talent. The bigger challenge is proving they can handle expectations in the limited opportunities they may receive.
Pitarch appears to understand that already.
Mourinho has shown faith in the youngster
The midfielder’s development has accelerated considerably over the past year, with Pitarch increasingly becoming part of the senior picture at Madrid.
Jose Mourinho has already made his confidence in the youngster clear, treating him as a genuine first-team option despite the considerable competition for places in midfield.
The Portuguese tactician loves players who have an elite mentality, and it looks like Pitarch has what it takes to impress him.
Thiago Pitarch of Real Madrid
Thiago Pitarch seems to be a star-in-the-making. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
A player who approaches every appearance as though another opportunity might never arrive is exactly the type of academy talent capable of surviving the demands of Madrid’s first team.
There will inevitably be difficult decisions over Pitarch’s minutes. Madrid possess enormous midfield depth, and development requires more than simply being included in senior squads.
However, at his current age, Pitarch will also learn a lot simply by being around Mourinho and the first-team midfielders.
If there is one academy prospect who looks set for a significant first-team career at the Bernabeu, it is Pitarch, and it remains to be seen how he develops.
Real Madrid star jokes about choosing between Mbappe and Lamine Yamal for Ballon d’Or: ‘No matter who wins…’
Marc Cucurella of Real Madrid
Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
The race for the Ballon d’Or appears to have finally boiled down to two names, and, reminiscent of the past, it is between a Barcelona and a Real Madrid star.
Los Blancos’ candidate is Kylian Mbappe, especially after the Frenchman’s special goalscoring season where he was the top-scorer in virtually every major tournament he played. The lacuna, however, is that he won no silverware.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, meanwhile, won La Liga and the FIFA World Cup, but his form at the international event was relatively substandard.
Cucurella’s Ballon d’Or pick
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid player
A tough fight for the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Real Madrid and Spain defender Marc Cucurella was asked in a recent press conference who he would hand the Ballon d’Or to if the power of deciding the result was vested in him.
Caught in a conflict of interest between his club, where Kylian Mbappe plays, and his country, where Lamine Yamal plays, the defender played the topic down and provided a diplomatic response.
“If I could vote, I would vote for myself,” he said jovially.
Elaborating on whether he had a favourite in mind for the award and who he felt the righteous winner would be, Cucurella said,
“No matter who wins, I will be happy. All candidates are teammates. I leave all this to those who vote.”
Finally, he concluded the topic by stating that irrespective of the result, the winner would be a teammate of his – either for club or for country.
“The advantage is that, regardless of the winner, I’m sure I have a little something as a teammate.”
Marc Cucurella, Real Madrid player
Cucurella struggled against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
Marc Cucurella ended the club football spell with a horrendous showing against Atletico Madrid – a game after which his position as a starter has been called into question in some capacity.
Moving back to the Spanish national team setup, however, he immediately picked up where he left off at the FIFA World Cup and has been performing at a great level for his country.
Needless to say, Jose Mourinho and Co. will hope the player can bring the same form back to Madrid this time around for they have a gruelling set of fixtures awaiting them after the break.