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Spain justified the favorites tag and went on to clinch the 2012 Euro Cup by defeating Italy by a record margin in the finals in Kiev. The team was without their star striker David Villa but it didn’t stop the Spanish armada from winning an unprecedented third consecutive major international championship. So, is the side led by Iker Cassillas the greatest team ever?
No yet, say many critics. Despite the recent dominance, the naysayers argue that the brand of football that Spain plays, commonly known as tiki taka, is very dull and boring for a viewer. By keeping the ball in their possession for long periods of time and not allowing the opposition to break free, the La Roja make the game very predictable.It might be effective but aesthetically it’s no where near being the best.
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Yes, the current world number one team lacks the flair and charisma that once Brazil possessed (1958 – 1970) with Pele at the helm. The team’s methodical and calculated approach doesn’t quite provide the drama and ‘I was there’ moments, which a more attacking and free flowing team would provide.
But the point that the skeptics fail to appreciate is the new dimension that the Spaniards have added to the game. They have reaffirmed the fact that passing the ball around is one of the most important aspects of football. With short but purposeful passes, they slowly but surely impregnate the best of defences. Instead of depending on just one or two marquee players, their style of play ensures that each and every member on the pitch is of utmost importance and has a well defined and important role to play. They have shown the world what a team game is all about. More than being a team of superstars, this is a superstar team.
Master of tiki-taka
With Villa injured and Fernando Torres not in the best of forms, Spain were without a proper striker going into the Euro. But Vincete del Bosque made superb use of his famed midfielders and nullified the disadvantage. Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, the masters of the tiki taka style of play, deserve a special mention here. They got better with each outing and showed in the finals how dangerous they can be with their exemplary ball control and surgical passes. The duo had a crucial hand in the first three of the four goals that Spain scored in the title decider at Kiev.
Notwithstanding the ‘boring’ chants, mostly done in resentment, Spain’s unprecedented success will spur many other coaches around the world to adopt the tiki taka. Instead of brooding over how dull it is, the creativity and the tactical edge of it should be lauded. Like the revolutionary ‘Total Football’ introduced by the Dutch in the 1970s, the passing game should be considered as another facet of football that makes it even greater.
For those who still feel that the current Spanish team doesn’t deserve a place in the pantheon of greatest teams ever, I repeat what former Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas said after the finals in reply to Arsenal manager Arsne Wenger, “Those people who think we are playing boring, in my opinion they don’t understand the game.”
