Thiago Pitarch talks Mourinho, Bellingham, Modric and Iniesta: ‘Best players in the world’ | OneFootball

Spain have reached the semifinals of the ongoing FIFA World Cup as they downed Belgium in a thriller last night. The nation, however, has all the more reason to celebrate as the Under-19 team has also done exceedingly well in a parallel event.

Playing at the ongoing UEFA Under-19 European Championship, Spain’s youngsters have already booked a spot in the final of the competition and comfortably so. They are now set to play Germany for the title later today.

Real Madrid’s academy stars Thiago Pitarch, Daniel Yanez, Mario Rivas, Diego Aguado and Jesus Fortea have all been regular starters in the competition so far, making La Fabrica proud with their consistent performances.

Pitarch’s honest interview

Speaking to the media via Diario AS in a recent interview ahead of the final, Thiago Pitarch opened up on several topics, including his time with the first team so far and the players he looked up to as inspirations.

Pitarch named his role models. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

He began by outlining the players he considered as his role models and named mostly Real Madrid stars.

“Midfield role models? Toni Kroos & Luka Modrić. From Spain, Andrés Iniesta.”

“Now, I really like Jude Bellingham,” he added.

The player then spoke out on what it meant to him to play at a club of Real Madrid’s stature and how the pressure affected players at the highest level.

“At Real Madrid, the best players in the world play, and you have to adapt.”

“The most important thing is to enjoy every match and learn a lot of things from them because you never know when it might be your last match,” he added.

Pitarch was then asked if he had spoken to the new manager Mourinho yet, to which he replied in the negative.

“No, I haven’t spoken to Mourinho yet. I’m focused on the final, we will see what happens next.”

On Real Madrid’s dressing room

Pitarch was then asked what question he was commonly asked in his day-to-day interactions with fans and peers, to which he said,

“The question I’ve been repeatedly asked recently? What is it like to be with Real Madrid players, what is daily life like with Mbappé, Vini and others, what is it like to play with them?”

Thiago Pitarch has not spoken to Jose Mourinho yet. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)

Elaborating on what he told those who asked such a question, Pitarch said,

“My answer? The first few days are just brilliant, it feels like you’re wearing VR glasses, but you get used to it little by little.”

Finally, the player was quizzed on which players helped him settle down in the first team and made him feel comfortable in his first season at the club.

“Everyone. They’re all exceptional teammates. In the first few days, Carvajal, Brahim, and Carreras were very attentive.”

“Brahim helped me a lot from day one, he’s a teammate I talk to a lot,” he added.