The day that Pep Guardiola took over as Barcelona manager is also the day the famed tiki-taka reached greater heights. The former Blaugrana star replaced Frank Rijkaard and from there on, tiki-taka became a football system synonymous to Barcelona. This style under Guardiola won the team 3 La Liga trophies, 2 UEFA Champions League and 2 Copa Del Rey. Although the 43-year old manager, as well as Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Cesc Fàbregas, and Lionel Messi, are credited for this kind of play, Guardiola don't feel the same about it. He even thinks that the passing-heavy style of football play is pointless.
In his autobiography, Guardiola described tiki-taka as rubbish.
"I loathe all that passing for the sake of it, all that tiki-taka.
"It's so much rubbish and has no purpose. You have to pass the ball with a clear intention, with the aim of making it into the opposition's goal. It's not about passing for the sake of it."
Guardiola started talking about the popular Barcelona playing style while narrating his first day in current team, Bayern Munich of Bundesliga in his own autobiography. This book, titled Pep Confidential: The Inside Story of Pep Guardiola's First Season at Bayern Munich, was written by close friend and journalist Marti Perarnau.
"You need to dig into your own DNA. I hate tiki-taka. Tiki-taka means passing the ball for the sake of it, with no clear intention. And it's pointless."
"Barca didn't do tiki-taka. It's completely made up. Don't believe a word of it. In all team sports, the secret is to overload one side of the pitch so that the opponent must tilt its own defence to cope. You overload on one side and draw them in so that they leave the other side weak."
On the possibility of coaching English Premier League's Manchester United
With his resume, Pep Guardiola is one of the most in demand managers in football. Does this include Manchester United? On the same book, the one-time FIFA World Coach of the Year recipient revealed that he can see himself coaching the Old Trafford-based club because of its great atmosphere.
"It was 4 May 2011, and the pair (Pep and personal assistant Manuel Estiarte) sat together in the stands of Old Trafford watching Sir Alex Ferguson's team beat Schalke 4-1. Once again Pep had turned to his friend and said: 'I like this atmosphere. I could see myself coaching here one day.' Guardiola has always felt a deep admiration, almost veneration, for the legendary teams and players of Europe."
