Real Madrid's Midfield Dilemma: Thiago Pitarch's Role
Real Madrid spent the summer staring at the same dilemma from every angle: was this midfield really enough? The club answered that question with its own actions, pushing hard for Rodri. When that move fell apart, they pivoted to a familiar solution — trust what they already had and slide Bernardo Silva into a deeper role, closer to a midfielder than the floating playmaker he had been at City.
The season has barely started, and the old doubts are already back on the table.
Control problem exposed against Inter
Spanish newspaper AS underlined what anyone watching Inter–Madrid could see. Madrid never truly got a grip on the game. Inter dictated the rhythm, and Madrid chased it.
Fede Valverde admitted afterwards that José Mourinho had been barking the same message from the touchline: keep the ball, slow the tempo, take the sting out of it. It never stuck. The match became another exhibit in a growing case file — this team struggles to control games from the middle of the pitch.
It is not a new crisis. It is a continuation.
The unexpected fix: Thiago Pitarch
Last season, Arbeloa stumbled upon an answer from the academy. Thiago Pitarch, then still officially a Castilla player, forced his way into the first-team picture and refused to leave.
He did more than fill gaps. He logged over 800 minutes, started both legs against City in the Champions League round of 16 and the first leg of the quarter-final against Bayern. Those are not charity appearances. Those are trust games.
Pitarch played with a calm that belied his status. The shirt did not weigh him down, and Madrid suddenly had a young midfielder who could help them breathe on the ball.
Stuck between squads
This season, his situation is far less clear.
A departure was seriously considered. Then an injury at the start of pre-season shut that door. Any loan or sale talk vanished, and Pitarch stayed with the first team, even though he is still registered with the reserves because there is no room left in the senior squad list.
On paper, he is a Castilla player. In reality, the club has already treated him like a first-teamer. The new contract he signed confirms that status. The label is not the problem.
The problem is minutes.
Fifth in line in Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1
Mourinho has nailed his colours to a 4-2-3-1. For Thiago, that means one thing: the double pivot or nothing.
That is crowded territory. Valverde, Tchouaméni, Camavinga and Bernardo Silva all stand in his way. Five men, two positions. On the depth chart, Thiago sits fifth in a group of five.
He leans on what he showed last season — clean use of the ball, personality, a refusal to be intimidated by the stage. Those qualities gave Madrid a different texture in midfield during Arbeloa’s spell. They are his argument now.
Mourinho’s verdict: first-team quality, gym work needed
Mourinho has not used him much lately, largely because of that injury. But the coach has not forgotten what Pitarch produced.
His view is blunt and generous at the same time. “He is not a player to feature in the Castilla category, but rather a first-team player and I like him a lot. He has qualities that I like very much, and when he is fully fit he will be part of the group, and then there will be minutes waiting for him to play, as he has very high quality.”
The message is clear: the door is open, but only if Thiago walks through it in peak condition.
Mourinho wants a sharper, stronger version of Pitarch, especially without the ball. Defensive duels, second balls, transitions — the Portuguese coach demands physical bite there, and he has told the youngster exactly where he falls short.
“The only thing I tell him is that his leg muscles are like mine, and he needs to add two kilograms there through work.”
So the equation is simple and brutal. Madrid’s midfield still struggles to control games. A young player who once helped steady it now stands on the edge of the rotation, armed with a coach’s public backing and a very specific challenge: build the legs to match the talent, or watch this midfield problem rage on without him.
