Real Madrid set to release Thiago Pitarch

Real Madrid have decided to review Thiago Pitarch’s long-term future at the club after a turbulent 2025-26 season that left fans and board members frustrated with the team’s trophy drought.

The move is part of a broader housecleaning at the Bernabéu. After finishing trophyless for the first time in over a decade, the club has shifted from its usual “win now” mentality to a tighter focus on squad rebuilding. Sources close to the club say manager Carlo Ancelotti has been given a clear signal: no more expensive misfires. Pitarch, the club’s sporting director since 2021, has been the public face of several questionable transfers. The final straw reportedly came when the team exited the Champions League at the group stage and was knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Segunda División side Racing Santander. Internal reports leaked to Spanish media put the total cost of those failures at north of €200 million in wages, signing fees, and agent commissions tied to players Pitarch personally championed.

Madrid now faces a stark choice. Pitarch’s contract runs until 2028, but the board must decide whether to trigger a buy-out clause or move him to a consultancy role. Insiders say Florentino Pérez is leaning toward a clean break, though he will first sound out agents who could replace him. The club’s next transfer window opens in six weeks, and the first-team squad still lacks a reliable defensive midfielder and a natural striker. Pitarch’s exit would clear space for a new sporting director to bring in players who fit Ancelotti’s preferred 4-3-3 shape.

The decision will ripple across LaLiga. If Pitarch leaves, he will likely join another European giant looking to reboot under a new sporting model. For Madrid, the message is simple: no more half-measures. They want trophies, not excuses.