From 2008 to 2012, Spain would go on to dominate the world with its revolutionizing style of play and unique football philosophy revolving around quick-short-passes and positional interchange that would later be known as Tiki-Taka or juego de posicion. Aided by the tremendous work b Pep Guardiola at FC Barcelona, and led by two of the greatest playmakers in international football – Xavi and Andres Iniesta, La Rioja would go on to win three major trophies in under four years!
Under the guidance of Vincente del Bosque, Spain won the nation’s first ever World Cup in 2010, as well as winning the UEFA Euro Championship in 2008 and 2012 – making them regarded as one of the greatest national teams in the history – along with the Dutch National team in the 70s or Brazil’s 1970 squad featuring Pele.
But how did they do it? This time, I have taken a closer look at Spain’s 2008-2012 tactics and recreated La Furia Roja’s renown Tiki-Taka style of play in Football Manager 2024. So keep reading, to learn more about how I have tried to recreate Spain’s 2008-2012 Tiki-Taka tactics in Football Manager 2024, or watch the video below about how I recreated Spain’s best-ever tactics on FM24 to show your support!
Spain’s Tiki-Taka Tactics
Under the guidance of Vincente del Bosque, the manager of the Spanish National team would go on to implement some of the founding principles behind the success of Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona team. With the core of the team made up of Barca players, Spain’s tactics revolved around dominating the opposition by a possession brand of football dubbed as Tiki-Taka.
By taking advantage of the extraordinary ball control of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquests, Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid) and David Villa (Valencia and Barcelona), Spain’s tactics revolutionized the core principles behind Total Football; extensive pressing, positional interchange to create overloads and quick-short passing to move both the opposition and to create space to dominate their opposition within their own third.
Playing some form of positional play, Spain’s Tiki-Taka tactics aimed at working the ball through the five channels of the pitch to move the opposition and use possession as a tool to both defend and attack with the ball. Often using intricate passing patterns to come to goalscoring opportunities and destabilize the opposition’s defensive block by using the tempo of the match to gain an advantage, Spain would shift between using quick one-two’s and third man runs and a more patience build-up to seek an advantage over their opponents to later come to goalscoring opportunities.
Possession was often used as both a defensive and offensive measure, where they could use possession as a tool to rest with the ball and force the opposition to use energy chasing the ball all over the pitch. The movement of the ball in various channels between the lines or from one zone on the pitch to another with a carefully accurate through ball or a one-touch pass was meant to create spaces on the pitch for a third man or a player further forward to receive in.
We have the same idea as each other. Keep the ball, create movement around and off the ball, get in the spaces to cause danger.
At its best, Spain’s Tiki-Taka football was outstanding to watch, as the ball flied from player to player without the opposition being able to regain possession until 20+ passes had been made.
Out of possession, their intense high pressing and aggressiveness to win the ball back as soon as they lost it saw the team taking the ethos of the Dutch Total Football one step further! The end result looked like Spain was always in possession and with their beautiful attacking football, their unique style of play would embrace our hearts!
Now, let us take a closer look at how I have tried to recreate Spain’s 2008-2012 tactics in Football Manager 2024.
Spain’s Formations 2008-2012
Influenced by the success of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona Tiki-Taka Tactics, Spain lined up in either a 4-3-3 formation or a 4-2-3-1 system.
In fact, at the UEFA Euro 2008, Luis Aragones would use a 4-4-2 formation with David Villa and Fernando Torres making up the front two, with two wide playmakers in the likes of Andres Iniesta and David Silva positioned on each flank. In midfield, Xavi and Senna would be the two holding midfielders. To help stretch the width, Capdevilla and Sergio Ramos would run forward to get in crosses or offer overlaps to help increase the space for Iniesta and Silva to move into channels and make underlaps.
At the World Cup 2010, the Spain national team was represented by 13 Barcelona players – describing the importance and brilliance of the Catalonian club to the success of the Spanish national teams World Cup triumph.
In the heart of the midfield, the team was composed by Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and Xavi. Andres Iniesta was often utilized as a wide playmaker on the left wing in the 4-2-3-1 system, or as a false 8.5 – a player who would make third man runs from the left side of the pitch.
On the right wing, Pedro would continue the same job he had at Barcelona – offer ing both width in the build-up and to cut inside with the ball as play entered the final third – making those wonderful runs in between the channels of DC and FB, or through balls.
No copyright infringement intended.
Image courtesy of Sofascore.
At the UEFA Euro 2012, Spain’s shape had evolved into a strikerless 4-6-0 tactic as the team lacked an out-and-out striker and oftenly used Cesc Fabregas as the front player. In reality, the formation was a 4-3-3 formation on paper.
Their shape enabled them to pack the middle with a front six of highly press resistant and creative midfielders. You had Sergio Busquets as the holding midfielder playing alongside Xabi Alonso. In front, you had a quartet of playmakers. Rather than using convential wingers, del Bosque opted to use wide playmakers who could use their wonderful ball control and vision to create chances. The front four was made out of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva – all creating triangles and using their positional awareness, decision-making and flair to maintain possession until a breakthrough is possible.
In possession, their shape would be transit into a 3-3-4 formation with Sergio Busquests dropping between the two centre-backs. As Busquets dropped between the two centre backs, like the way the half-back works in Football Manager, it helped to free up the two fullbacks from their defensive duties in possession. With the lack of wide wingers, Jordi Alba and Arbeloa would be tasked to provide the width when the team was attacking the final third. By making overlaps and becoming an extra men in the attack, the attacking runs of the two wingbacks would copy some of the best features of Brazil’s 1970’s team – the attacking instict of Carlos Alberto and Everaldo who would get to the byline and get in crosses or overload the sides.
Ending the tournament with a outstanding possession ratio of 63%, Spain would win the tournament by only conceding 2 goals throughout the tournament. In fact, they won all the later stages matches 1-0 and ended the tournament by only scoring 8 goals – twice as few as Germany who scored 16 but was knocked out in the semi-finals to Spain.
RELATED | Emulating Bielsa’s Leeds on FM24 using Positional Play: From 4-1-4-1 to 3-3-1-3
The Team Instructions of Spains Tactics
How Spain attacked or defended from 2008 to 2012 was different from competition to competition according to the players at their disposal, the team’s tactical plans according to the opponents and how the game had evolved.
To reduce the number of images, I have tried to summarize how the team instructions for the three different Spain tactics in one illustration. I have started out with the Spain 2010 tactic as a canvas to include the differences with the 2008 and 2012 tactics.
Here you’ll get an overall illustration of the team instructions for the three different Spain tactics with 2008 team instructions color coded in yellow, meanwhile the 2012 tactic is colour coded with orange text or lines.
To see the specific team instructions for each tactic, please download my tactical emulation of Spain’s tactic in the download link below.
In Possession
In Transition
Out of Possession
Download FM24 Spain’s 2008-2012 Tiki-Taka Tactics by DarkHorseFM
Use Spain’s treble winning tactic to dominate your opponents and play with Spain’s 2008-2012 Tiki-Taka Tactics on Football Manager 2024. Emulate the success of Vincente del Bosque’s possession-based football to hunt for trophies. This megapack features three different tactics: the 2008’s 4-4-2, the 2010’s 4-2-3-1, and the 4-3-3 used in 2012.
Connect with me on socials
If you like to see more of this or simply enjoy the tactical side of Football Manager, please visit my socials for more stuff like this! At my YouTube channel, you’ll find lots of Football Manager 2024 tactics, tactical recreation such as Bielsa’s Leeds tactic using positional play and other hints and tips about tactics creation on Football Manager.
X/ Twitter: @_DarkHorseFM
Youtube: DarkHorseFM
