Ruthless Barca close in on being greatest ever

FC BARCELONA never tire of telling the world that they are more than a club.

The slogan used to refer to their special status as the heartbeat of Catalan national feeling, but these days it has altogether more ambitious overtones. The birth of the global television marketplace has coincided with Barcelona’s rise on the field. In their imaginations they have transcended mere regional significance and come to represent something like the spirit of freedom made flesh.

The grandiose self-image flows from the uninhibited and irrepressible style of football that has become their trademark, but not everything about Barcelona is open, spontaneous and free. They are also a ruthless corporation who, in tandem with their counterparts in Madrid, have sucked the competitive life out of the Spanish league through their greedy hogging of TV revenues.