Features
The myth of Spain
Devoid of humility or sportsmanship, self-appointed football 'saviours' Spain have nothing on the great international sides of the past.
Without a doubt, Spain are the best team in the world. They came to the World Cup as favourites and aside from a minor blip against Switzerland, lived up to their lofty reputation, comfortably beating the tournament’s second best side Germany in the semi-finals and keeping four consecutive clean sheets in the knock-out stages.
Yet days later, and having read a number of articles lauding the team’s achievements - including on this site - one can’t help feeling that in many ways the trumpeting of the quality of this side, and what they bring to the game, has gone beyond the pale.
Put simply, just because Spain are the best team in the world right now, and have won two international tournaments in a row, does not logically point to genuine comparisons to the great sides of Brazil in 1970 or Cryuff’s 1974 Holland.
Personally, I find it strange to think that Spain are currently being held in such high regard when people forget that the French team of 1998 and 2000 was infinitely more entertaining and fully comfortable in putting their opponents to the sword. However, with the media fawning in overdrive of Spain’s style of play, I found that it was time to put together a couple of points to attempt to redress the balance.
Tiki-taka – great in theory, tedious in practice
First off – this is not an interesting team to watch. The term for Spain’s style of play, is ‘tiki-taka’. Essentially this involves to a huge amount of meaningless passes, which eat up possession and ensure Spain’s defenders are in full control of the game throughout. This is undoubtedly a huge talent, and for purists is an admirable skill, one which ensures the side also has a unique style of play in the international arena.
However, this isn’t to say tiki-taka is an exciting style of football, comparable to the explosion of the unprecedented aesthetic beauty of Holland’s Total Football in 1969. On the contrary, I feel this style of play makes for dull, flat, but effective performances. Indeed, the best label I can apply to Spain’s World Cup performances would be ‘Diet Barcelona’ - lacking the cutting edge and dynamism of a Leo Messi to counterbalance the tedium with unforgettable moments of magic.
One of the strangest aspects of Spain’s approach in this tournament is that that unlike their relatively goal-heavy journey to Euro 2008 success, under Vicente Del Bosque they have settled for one-goal victories, with four successive 1-0 victories after conquering the group stages.
For whatever reason, Spain never tries to find another gear and destroy their opponents – once they have scored their single goal they are content to kill a game off entirely.
As an armchair viewer for the tournament, it was immediately evident that once Spain took the lead in a game, it was time to flick off and see what else was on – the team never lost a lead and on just one occasion in eight games did they score a second goal, finishing as the lowest-scoring champions in World Cup history.
Do we really want to compare a side like that to great Brazil team of 1970. And if so, how far has international football fallen that such displays are held in such high regard?
Arrogance
The Spain team can be quite a dislikeable bunch. Yes, this sounds like a very shallow statement but again, it's another clear demarcation between this team and the all-time greats. Perhaps bred from the Barcelona-centric reliance of the starting line-up, Spain is one of the most painfully arrogant sides to ever kick a ball.
Witness the sight of Spain and Barcelona central defender pairing Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol forcing a Barcelona jersey over Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas during Monday’s celebrations in Madrid. Or lovable Pique finding great amusement from spitting on the Spanish FA delegate and former Valencia president, 72-year old Pedro Cortés, atop the celebratory bus.
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As for Fabregas, Monday's actions were another concerted episode in the side’s intense courtship of their former youth player. Barcelona have been trying everything they legally can to unsettle this player and undermine his current club - Xavi telling us it’s in Cesc’s “DNA†to rejoin the side, Barca captain Puyol saying he is “perfect†for the side, whilst Pique feels joining the team is something Fabregas “must doâ€.
The lack of respect from this side to another of their European rivals has been astonishing, indefensible. As for their domestic rivals, Real Madrid starting right-back Sergio Ramos recently told Spanish media that “when a player is the best in his position in the world and doesn’t play for Real Madrid, you have to consider it a waste.†This domestic club arrogance transfers over to the conduct of the national side, which has ably demonstrated a lack of humility in the past and manifested a team that are both poor winners and sore losers.
Its always good to start with a startling over exaggeration.
Devoid of humility – Did you not see or hear the many interviews with the players and especially the manager talking about this very topic? As for ‘self appointed football ‘saviours’. Can you point out who in the Spain camp said this about themselves. Isn’t it more likely that The Press in their basic way appointed them such an accolade in the hope that they would ‘bottle it’ once again?
‘Spain have nothing on the great sides of the past’ !! Is winning the Euro’s and the World cup nothing? What makes a great side? Winning usually is one of the ingredients unlike Cruyff’s Holland. Anyway, comparisons are always futile in sport especially over time as so much has changed and always will change.
If you can’t see the aesthetic beauty in Spains game I’m not sure what you are looking at. As for tedium – see Portugal or Italy to mention but a couple. Maybe switching off the TV after Spains first goal is an error on your part, especially as you are so keen to dismiss them!
As your article continues it becomes clear that you have a grudge against the Spanish, its almost as though someone Spanish kicked you when you were very young and you haven’t got over it yet. Spainish players dancing the conga in FULL VIEW OF THE CAMERAS – is SABOTAGING an interview and even CRIMINALLY overlooked by Spanish apologists – Criminally?! Wow in what way is this ‘astonishing conduct’ by a winning team, criminal?
Lowering yourself once more onto the tenuous cheating argument. You say you ‘genuinely’ didn’t see this more form another country! Did you switch of the TV after every first goal was scored. Did you not see an Italian forward punch a goal keeper? Portugals Pepe spent more time on the floor than a worm, the Brazil Holland game was an embarrassment for diving and rolling. This accusation could be leveled at many many other teams – its just Spain that get it in the neck from you. See the video of Iniesta’s legs after the final. You’d dive if you were being physically assaulted by the brutal van Bommel and the referee offered you scant protection.
I and many others I know take great pleasure in watching the Spanish side weave their magic on the football field and also find it very entertaining. You seem to have a grudge against Spain and, as the case with the majority of sports writers, you exaggerate to the point where the truth is no longer the truth.
Carlos Marchena’s late substitutions are ‘cynical in the extreme’ - do you watch football seriously?
I wouldn't call seven goals in seven matches "weaving magic" mate. Don't include me in the "many others" who were entertained by Spain.
Spains qualification for the WC was incredible, if you hadn't noticed the won 10 from 10.
Team
v • d • e
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Spain 10 10 0 0 28 5 +23 30
I'm not sure if you noticed or not but Spains qualification wor the WC was fairly impressive, 10 wins from 10, 28 goals scored and only 5 conceded, not the most difficult group but that doesn't really matter, i KNOW if Torres was 100% fit Spain would have won all of there games and scored twice as many goals. Spain sadly don't really have any replacements good enough to repalce Torres or Villa at the minute.
Spains tiki-taka style of play is as good as it gets, it means that 1 goal is nearly all they need to win a game most of the time, at the end of the day they want to win trophies and thats what they are doing, if Spain have the ball the opposition can't score. Germany as you say were the 2nd best team in the tournament and Spain brushed them aside easily, Spain didn't let Germany get the ball and that was it, Germany didn't play as poorly as some people might say they did against Spain, it was just the simple fact Spain did not give them the ball, so they couldn't do anything.
On the other hand i do agree with some of your comments of there conduct, diving, crowding around the ref etc. etc. but can you tell me any league where this is not done, the way people talk you'd swear this doesn't happen every week in England or Italy or Germany, its not ONLY happening in Spain, its happening everywhere., that doesn't make it ok by any means but Spain seem to be taking all of the stick for it.
The Schweinsteiger clip above i'm not sure you know the full story behind it, Schweinsteiger before the game was bad mouthing Spains style of play and some of the players so that was there get back.