Tiki-taka

Tiki-taka (commonly spelled tiqui-taca [ˈtikiˈtaka] in Spanish) is a style of play in football characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession. The style is primarily associated with La Liga club Barcelona, especially during the era of manager Pep Guardiola. Its development and influence goes back to Johan Cruyff's tenure as manager in the early 1990s all the way to the present. Tiki-Taka is also associated with the Spanish national team under managers Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque. It was also seen under Arsène Wenger's Arsenal that won the 2003–04 FA Premier League. Tiki-taka moves away from the traditional thinking of formations in football to a concept derived from zonal play.

Origins and development

The late Spanish broadcaster Andrés Montes is generally credited with coining and popularizing the phrase tiki-taka during his television commentary on LaSexta for the 2006 World Cup, although the term was already in colloquial use in Spanish football and may originate with Javier Clemente. In his live commentary of the Spain versus Tunisia match, Montes used the phrase to describe Spain's precise, elegant passing style: "Estamos tocando tiki-taka tiki-taka." The phrase's origin may be onomatopoeic (alluding to the quick, short distance "tick" passing of the ball between players) or derived from a juggling toy named tiki-taka in Spanish (clackers in English).