Adios España: An Ode to One of the Greatest Teams Ever and the Death of Tiki-Taka?

RIP Spain; The End of an Era: “June 29^th 2008 – June 18^th 2014”

The month of June 2014 will be remembered in Spain as a month of “abdications”. On June 2^nd 2014 King Juan Carlos I of Spain abdicated the throne of the Spanish monarchy in favour of his son Felipe VI, and today the Spanish National Football team abdicated their throne atop the footballing world. From June 29^th 2008 to June 18^th 2014 the Spanish national football team had ruled the sport. With two European Championship trophies in 2008 and 2012, along with a World Cup trophy in 2010, they had cemented themselves into the conversation of the best team of all-time (it’s Spain vs. Brazil 1970 for those who are wondering) and shed the tagline of perennial underachievers that seemed to cling to previous Spanish national teams. Not only had they topped the “podium” in three successive major tournaments, but they also mesmerized the world with their playing style. Using a core of Barcelona-based players, Spain introduced Pep Guardiola’s “tiki-taka” style of quick, short passing and emphasis on possession to the national stage. They were all conquering, all dominant and at times seemed invincible.