THE long reign of the tiki-taka masters, who have ruled the football universe for six years, has ended.

Spain – winners of the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 – are on their way home after a 2-0 Group B defeat by Chile last night.
It brings to an end one of the greatest dynasties of the modern game.
On the day when Spain’s King Juan Carlos signed his abdication papers – handing over power to his son, Prince Felipe after a 39-year reign – the country’s star footballers also left their throne.
Goals from Eduardo Vargas after 20 minutes and Charles Aranguiz two minutes before half-time earned the South Americans a stunning victory.
They advanced to the last 16 along with Holland, while
Australia go out with Spain.
And Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli was full of praise for his team. He said: “I’m happy with the players’ game, the team was up to the challenge, now we have to play against Holland to come first in the group.
“We have a chance to see if this is the best Chile team ever, but that is something we can only say after the World Cup is over.
“We were very courageous in the way we played and you could say we are the rebels of this tournament.
“Against Holland we will have the same approach knowing we need to win to be first in our group. If we don’t win against Holland we will probably have to play Brazil if they win against Cameroon.
“Spain has played very well over the years and had wonderful performances, but last night that generation of players couldn’t keep that success going, and that is normal because success is not forever.”
Gutted Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said: “We cannot complain that we did not deserve to go out because they were better than us. The team showed character. We pressed forward but had little luck in front of goal. We were certainly inferior to our rivals here at the finals.”
He said he would need to take time to think about his own future and “what is good for Spanish football”.
Del Bosque added: “It’s true that when such things happen during a World Cup or a tournament like this then it has consequences but I don’t want to start thinking about that right now. We have time to analyse that and it is not the right time now.
“There will be time to think and reflect what we are going to do. I think this team is good but we have to take a decision about what is good for Spanish football and that applies to myself as well.”
Chile and Holland each have six points at the top of Group B and they play each other in Sao Paulo on Monday, while Spain face Australia in
Curitiba bidding to avoid
finishing bottom.
They are the third champions in the last four World Cups to be eliminated at the first hurdle and their departure will almost certainly end the long international careers of the ageing greats who won the 2008 European Championship and their first World Cup in SouthAfrica four years ago.
Chile, who had never beaten Spain in 10 previous meetings, looked sharp, composed and confident from the start and even faster and more fluid in the second half.
Although Spain’s Xabi Alonso had a shot saved in the 15th minute, Chile took the lead five minutes later.
A counter-attack on the right set up Aranguiz to provide the cross for Vargas, who danced round goalkeeper Iker Casillas before firing home with defender Sergio Ramos arriving too late to stop him.
Casillas – who had a poor game in Spain’s 5-1 mauling by the Dutch – was at fault for the second goal, punching an Alexis Sanchez free-kick straight back to Aranguiz, who swept the ball home.
“We ask people’s forgiveness,” Casillas said. “We are responsible, but also the first ones to feel the pain and the frustration. There is nothing left now but to look to the future. We will just try to focus on the good things about this team.”