Other managers may choose to defend deep, setting up with a tiki taka low block that’s difficult for the opposition to break down. Some teams will focus on winning aerial battles and dominating from set-pieces, while other sides will focus more heavily on possession. Ultimately, there’s no one approach that’s the right way to play — Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola view the game in very different ways, but they’ve both managed to accrue a phenomenal amount of success.
How FC Barcelona Played After 2012
Pep’s Barcelona played tiki taka better than anyone else because they had the right players across all positions on the field such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi. The objective here isn’t just keeping possession but creating opportunities through swift ball movements while reducing chances for opponents to intercept. Total Football, gegenpressing, zonal marking — sometimes it feels like the technical terms never end. However, there’s one footballing phrase that’s been used so much over the past decade or so that it comes almost as second nature to many soccer fans across the world. Cruyff’s philosophy became deeply ingrained in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy, influencing future generations of players and coaches. They often scored late goals as the opposition — exhausted from chasing the ball the whole match — could no longer keep up and were worn out from closing down Barcelona players and not getting near to them at all.
What is the Tiki Taka Style of Play?
Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid faced Barcelona six times in the 2013–14 season, managing to remain undefeated in all six matches. In this formation, Simeone denied Barcelona their vital space in the midfield, rendering tiki-taka tactics useless against Atlético. Atlético also relied on their height advantage over the Barça players, with centre-backs Diego Godín and Miranda intercepting all Barcelona long-balls and often going forward when Atlético took a corner kick or free-kick.
Key Principles of Tiki Taka
The team waits for the right moment to penetrate defensive lines, often prioritizing ball retention over rushed goal attempts. By circulating the ball and waiting for the perfect moment to play a decisive pass, teams using Tiki-Taka can stretch defensive lines until weaknesses appear. The focus is not on taking speculative shots or launching hopeful crosses, but rather on methodically breaking down defenses through precision passing and intelligent movement. When Pep Guardiola took over as Barcelona manager in 2008, nobody expected him to change football forever with his tactics. Pep Guardiola also played for FC Barcelona, so he knew how the internal system worked. He built his team around a group of homegrown players like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, and, of course, the G.O.A.T. Lionel Messi.
- That’s where stars like Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Busquets, and Piqué learned the basics of Tiki Taka.
- With practice, any team can improve the way they play and develop a tiki-taka style that leaves their opponents chasing shadows as they pass their way around the pitch.
- Not every squad can seamlessly adopt this system, and managers who rigidly stick to this strategy without considering their squad’s strengths may struggle to achieve success.
- Tiki-Taka can sometimes result in excessive passing without penetration, making it easier for defensive teams to sit back and absorb pressure.
- Sometimes, the main aim will be to press high and win the ball in advantageous positions.
- We’re also going to take a look at some elite teams who have epitomised this philosophy.
Control and Dominance
- He’s also written about football for publications such as British GQ, VICE, FanSided, Football League World, and more.
- Cruyff’s philosophy became deeply ingrained in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy, influencing future generations of players and coaches.
- However, there’s one footballing phrase that’s been used so much over the past decade or so that it comes almost as second nature to many soccer fans across the world.
- The phrase Tiki-Taka was first used by Spanish commentator Andrés Montes during the campaign of 2006 FIFA World Cup, when the Spanish national team reached the round of 16 and lost the game to the French national team by 3-1.
- His philosophy focused on intelligent movement, positional play, and building attacks from the back.
Total Football focused on fluid positional changes of players, high pressing and superiority over the opponents in spaces on the pitch. Cruyff arrived in FC Barcelona as a player in 1973 until 1978, and as FC Barcelona manager, Cruyff moved to the Spanish team in 1988 until 1996. Counting Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola, FC Barcelona won five La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies and three UEFA Champions League.
This strategy needs the best of each player, and they need to think multiple steps ahead, ensuring that the ball is always circulating. Tiki-Taka wasn’t only a football strategy – it was an art in the form of football, using all the intelligence, patience and technique of its players. Pep Guardiola has been synonymous with tiki-taka for over a decade, but what is it exactly? This article explores its origins and the individuals who have been influenced by the tactical phenomenon the most.