The rise and fall of tiki-taka
The Barcelona and Spanish teams are known for
their famous tiki-taka, which is their signature of playing football. Barcelona won
accolades by playing their tiki-taka style of football. Opposition teams
failed to find solutions to their possession-based football. It was frustrating
for the oppositions to just run after the ball. In 2011,
after Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League, their 2nd victory in two years (sadly, both victories came against Manchester United), they were voted the greatest team in the world of sports. They became an unbeatable team. Spain, on the other hand, ended their 44-year trophy drought by winning the 2008 Euro Cup. They maintained their momentum and became the world champions for the first time in 2010. They even managed to defend their European Cup in 2012, when they were again crowned Champions of Europe. The tiki-taka became a lethal weapon for both Spain as well as Barcelona. Opponent teams didn’t have any answer to tiki-taka. The tiki-taka was the face of these two teams.
after Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League, their 2nd victory in two years (sadly, both victories came against Manchester United), they were voted the greatest team in the world of sports. They became an unbeatable team. Spain, on the other hand, ended their 44-year trophy drought by winning the 2008 Euro Cup. They maintained their momentum and became the world champions for the first time in 2010. They even managed to defend their European Cup in 2012, when they were again crowned Champions of Europe. The tiki-taka became a lethal weapon for both Spain as well as Barcelona. Opponent teams didn’t have any answer to tiki-taka. The tiki-taka was the face of these two teams.
Fast forward to 2013 Champions
League semi-final. The same Barcelona team was demolished 0-7 over two
legs in the hands of Bayern Munich. The next season, Barcelona failed to win
absolutely nothing in the 2013-14 season, making the tiki-taka lose its
lethality. Even Bayern Munich, now under former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola
failed to defend their Champions League title, now playing on the same lines of
tiki-taka. First it was Barcelona. Then, Bayern Munich last season in the
Champions League. Now, it is Spain. The World Champions are out of the World
Cup after just two group matches. The humiliating 1-5 demolition at the hands
of the Netherlands was followed by a 0-2 defeat by Chile, thus ending Spain’s
reign at the global stage. The tiki-taka raised many questions. It has failed
to maintain its destructing nature which had once made these teams unbeatable.
In simple words, the days of tiki-taka are long gone. Opposition teams have
finally found out the solution to counter tiki-taka. Even then, we shouldn’t go
on criticizing that same style of football which brought laurels to both
Barcelona and Spain alike. It was their signature style of playing. It made
them their identity. It made them champions. It made them the team they are
now. Only now, their style of playing is history. Their glorious days are over.
The days of supremacy has come to an end, thanks to the tiki-taka being outdated.
And unless and until, they come up with some new style of football or combining
their tiki-taka with something more lethal and attacking, I don’t think either
of Spain and Barcelona can retain their past glory. No wonder, the era of
tiki-taka would obviously be remembered and cherished until lost glory is
regained. Till then, enjoy the FIFA World Cup.
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