Imagine you're in a time machine and traveling back to 2010, the year when you witnessed one of the greatest football matches the world has ever seen, where every pass was like a work of art and every move was like a dance. This was a time when Barcelona didn't just play football, they turned it into a cinematic masterpiece, in which each actors were world-class and generated open spaces like true magicians. And in that magical year, PEP also introduced several interesting concepts that are still being replicated by present managers. And with these techniques, they didn't just win, they completely destroyed every other team on their way to achieving the treble. So what are these formulas that made this team the GOAT? Why did 2010 become PEP's greatest season in his career? Let's find out in this video. When you think of Barcelona during PEP's time, the 2010-11 season really stood out as their greatest year, even though they had already achieved incredible success in the seasons before. The reason was the evolution of PEP's tiki-taka from an innovative approach to a more matured machine. And his star players such as Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi were at the top of their game, displaying some of the best football of their careers. Unlike previous seasons where they had occasional moments of weakness, this season they dominated almost every match. They were dominating every game and had an average possession of 65% throughout the season, which was surprisingly 10% higher than the second-best team. And looking at their formations, they play a normal 4-3-3, but in possession, the formation often shifted to an asymmetric structure, where the striker and the right center mid dropping deep, while the right back playing as a winger. And in addition to that, every player was trained to position themselves in a way that they could always find passing options. This was achieved through various concepts, which were beautifully explained by Christoph in his Medium article. No changes needed for this sentence. Firstly, let's talk about how Barcelona built up their play. When they moved the ball from back, most opponents typically avoided from pressing the first line, as Barcelona were excellent in identifying freemans in every given scenarios. For example, when the opposing team attempted to press Barcelona's center backs, Pep would move them towards the sides near the halfway line, while also giving his goalkeeper the freedom to advance forward. No changes needed. The translation is already contextual and colloquial/modern. If the opponents added another player to mark, Pep would have the pivot drop even deeper, creating a diamond shape with a 4v3 advantage. This allowed them to pass the ball around easily in a circular motion, always having an extra player available. And after successfully maneuvering through the diamond formation, Barcelona was also known for their skill in creating a lot of players in the center of the field. When Messi played as the false 9, he would frequently drop back into the midfield, resulting in the creation of a 4-man diamond shape. And the goal was not only to move the ball smoothly but also to drag the defenders out of position. You can make this happen by rotating positions and passing the ball repeatedly. For example, when Busquets has the ball, he passes it directly to Messi who drops back because of his ability to move freely. This causes more defenders to be drawn towards him due to his excellent dribbling skills, creating space in the midfield. So his best option is to make a repeat pass to the CDM. And as soon as the ball is played back, it creates an open space for Iniesta to receive the final pass, and directly face the backline. And when there are more defenders around, Barcelona used their well-known passing and movement tactics. Imagine this scenario: Iniesta has the ball and passes it to Messi who is close by. Immediately after passing, Iniesta quickly closes in on the CDM marker. Messi then quickly passes it back to Iniesta, and at the same time he moves towards the right, effectively taking 2 markers with him. And because Iniesta made a left run, it also pulls the markers around the CDM towards him. Which then opens up a clear path for the number 6 to receive the pass, and exploit the space created by these positional movements. But talking about positioning, when they reach the attacking half, Barcelona love to confuse their opponents by constantly changing their players' positions, leaving the markers with limited options. For instance, due to complete freedom given to Barca's front 3, you would often see the right winger making a inverted runs near the center back to receive the ball, while Messi takes on his position on right half space. And after the right winger plays the ball back to the number 8, a clear wide space emerges for the right back to make an aggressive forward run. This leaves the defenders with a tough decision - stick with Messi or follow the charging right back. If they mark Messi closely, the right back can receive a long pass and pass it to the right winger for the final goal. On the other hand, if they track the right back, Messi will find himself free in the half space to cause even more trouble. So either option puts the opposition at a disadvantage and gives us a better position on the field. And to trick the opposition even further, they use an interesting V-shaped passing angle. For instance, if the right winger carries the ball from flank, but finds himself marked by the wide and half space markers, he then passes it to the right back, who cuts inside towards the half space. This move makes the whole defense push forward and put pressure on the right back. To capitalize on this, Messi, who typically stays back, makes a diagonal run towards the opposite side to receive the final pass. And this move is lightning-fast, leaving no time for defenders to react and mark him. However, if the opposing team focuses too much on one side, it could make executing this strategy challenging. So to tackle this, Barcelona position their players in such a way that they're placed on all sides of the pitch, and are also close enough to stay connected with each other. And if they encountered resistance on one side, they could play a back pass, and easily get the ball towards the opposite side like a relay manner. This enables them to keep passing the ball around from all sides, which wears down the other team and makes them lose concentration. And using this, they master to patiently build up, until they find better opportunity while not losing the ball. When it comes to losing the ball, it was rare to see Pep's Barcelona without possession as their main goal was to constantly circulate the ball among themselves. No changes needed. The translation accurately reflects the context and is already colloquial/modern. As soon as they lose possession, they quickly put into action Pep's 6-second rule, where the closest players press the ball carrier from all sides to regain possession within 6 seconds. This ensures that they have the ball for most of the time. time for the ball carrier to find a perfect pass. But what if the opposing team is able to pass through the intense press within 6 seconds? In order to counter the 6-second press, Barcelona had a contingency plan where they divided their players into three specific zones: the zone of intervention, zone of mutual help, and zone of cooperation. This allowed them to press the ball carrier intensely from all angles and win the ball quickly. For example, the spot where the nearby players execute their press on the ball carrier after 6 seconds is called the intervention zone. This area can also be called the first line of defense. Then there's the zone of mutual help, where usually three or four players are positioned just behind the first line of defense. As the name suggests, these players provide mutual help by covering the available options for the ball carrier. This adds another layer of defense against the opposing team, and if they manage to get past the first line of defense, this zone also prevents the opposing team from quickly pressing back, allowing the team to move the ball out of the crowded area. to the safer side. And lastly, the cooperation zone includes players who are positioned wider apart to maintain the team's width. These players are responsible for covering the ones positioned further away in case the opponent breaks through the first and second zones. This way, the zones are designed to handle any situation and quickly regain possession of the ball. But the real question is, what were the specific positions assigned to these legendary players that made this team so exceptional? So looking at the goalie, Valdez was more like a sweeper, playing a crucial role in creating their deep diamond formation during the build-up phases. At defense, Pique and Mascherano were amazing at playing the ball from the back and transitioning it upfield smoothly. They were the key players in this team. The fullbacks positioned themselves asymmetrically, with Alves playing as the right-back. Typically plays as a wingback, known for making overlapping runs and delivering crosses. Whereas Abidal played a more traditional role, who often acted as a third center-back. This setup creates a perfect balance in the defense, giving the right-back more freedom to attack while having an extra layer of support for the center-backs. In midfield, Xavi and Iniesta had an asymmetrical positioning, with Xavi playing deeper on the right side. Iniesta took on a number 10 role and became Barcelona's main playmaker, capable of creating space out of thin air. When watching the game, Xavi's main role was to connect Busquets and Iniesta, making sure the team could smoothly transition through the center of the field. On the wings, Pedro would often drift towards the right half-space to create room for Alves to exploit the wide areas, while Villa would hug the touchline on the left, freeing up space for Iniesta to operate in. These movements were crucial in Barcelona's success. to have at least one player operating every sides of the pitch, and effectively stretch the opposition's rigid structure. Finally up front, Messi used to be a false 9. He was the key player in the system, not only improving the team's fluidity but also introducing a new style of dribbling. In addition, he frequently switched positions with both wingers and midfielders to assist Pep's innovative strategies such as positional dominance and midfield overload. And these ideas could only come to fruition with Pep's guidance. When it comes to the team's mindset, Barcelona under Pep were famously known for their proactive style of play, and they favored more width, in order to easily switch the play on other side. Also, they were expressive in terms of creating breakthroughs, as he encouraged his star players to use their individual skills, to make a difference in the game. At defense, they used a high line and closed down the opposition within their half, which allowed them to apply their own style of play to their opponents. apply Pep's 6-second rule when they counter-press. When it comes to attacking in the final third, Barcelona frequently made use of overlapping runs on the wings to exploit Alves' forward runs. In terms of passing, they clearly preferred short passes. Overall, Pep's Barcelona wasn't just about their tiki-taka style of play. It was also mesmerizing to see how they utilized their positions and created space with every movement. Each of those players had incredible skills and intelligence, making them not only the strongest Barcelona team since Cruyff's era but also the best team we've ever witnessed to date. I hope you enjoyed this analysis. If you did, please show your support by giving the video a thumbs up and let me know in the comments which classic tactics you'd like me to recreate next. Thanks for watching, guys!
