There was football before Barcelona became such a trendy team, more than a team actually. Before everything Messi did was compared to everyone else great around and before. Megalomania doesn’t befit anyone, and those who believe they’re greater than the game shall fall, eventually.

Sandro Rosell made some waves this week, rolling out his vision of how a Super League of soccer super powers will erase everything reminding us of local leagues, international football and anyone who dares stands in the way of the biggest, richest, most powerful clubs in the world as they continue their case for making more and more money, and damn the torpedoes.

International football, as in national teams should be changed. Maybe compensations, like the way Rugby Union works in some nations. The qualification games should be held in concentrated periods, two months a year, so the league flow won’t get disrupted each month.

But the whole separating from the La Liga, by virtually destroying the La Liga through separation of the big clubs? Local-Patriotism pushed towards more emphasis on the club game. Rosell even spoke about his support for more equality in terms of the spread from TV money in Spain, the big subject for discussion regarding the growing abyss between Real-Barca and the rest of the league.

Local leagues are the bread and butter, even more than that. Having giants clashing at each other each weekend will take the edge off. There’s a reason the World Cup doesn’t happen every summer. Special things remain such as long as they’re not over-exposed. I’m not talking about more or less money big clubs think they deserve. Over globalization of the game (Premier League expectations) will eventually destroy the foundations. Those who want an extra game in Asia each season will someday find out that local fans can’t afford the rising prices and the home support had dwindled, disappeared maybe.

The German model, right now, seems the sane one, the sensible ones. Combining community with private ownership. Limitations. Keeping the game restricted in financial terms hasn’t stopped the Bundesliga from constantly improving in terms of fans, competitiveness and level of play. It hasn’t stopped from one Major Club remain around the top of the Europan game (Bayern Munich).

The success and the love (which fades quickly when the wins stop) has gone to the heads of the Barcelona chiefs, and probably other clubs. The arms race which makes the club forget about their debts drives them into blackmailing of local leagues. A “sad” ending for some clubs, big as they might be, is better than losing the relevance of entire leagues.