Real Madrid youngster Thiago Pitarch has snubbed Morocco to pledge his future to Spain’s under-18s.
The 17-year-old midfielder, tipped for a bright future at the Bernabéu, has accepted Spain head coach David Tenorio’s invitation to join La Roja 26-man squad for an upcoming training camp from April 1 to 9, shutting the door on his Moroccan heritage – for now.
Born in Fuenlabrada, just outside Madrid, Pitarch honed his footballing skills at Atlético Madrid, Getafe, and Leganés before joining Real’s famed La Fábrica academy. Despite Moroccan roots through his father and grandparents from Al Hoceima, Pitarch has opted to represent Spain’s youth team.
According to reports from Spanish media outlets Mundo Deportivo and Marca, Spain acted quickly to lock Pitarch down before Morocco could swoop in with an official call-up for their U17 setup.
Pitarch is capable of playing in central midfield or as a wide man. Los Blancos‘ coaches are keeping a close eye on his progress, hoping he will soon break into the first-team setup under the watchful eye of academy coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
The teenager’s decision is the latest twist in the tug-of-war between federations for top dual-nationality talents – most notably for Chemsdine Talbi, Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Brahim Rabbaj.
Morocco had high hopes of securing his services for the youth team, but Spain’s early intervention appears to have won the contest.
