体坛英语新闻：Rosell: we need a 16 team league and 64 club Champions

MADRID, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona President Sandro Rosell this Friday gave his blueprint for the future of Spanish football.

Speaking to television network ESPN, during a trip to New York, Rosell was questioned about the current status of Spanish football in which the past three seasons has seen Real Madrid and Barcelona finish over 20 points ahead of the team in third place (Valencia).

The two biggest clubs in Spain earn over four times more money than any other club in the country and between them share out around 50 percent of the entire TV budget for the BBVA Primera Liga.

That has provoked protest from most of the other club's in Spain, who are trying to move toward a fairer, more collective form of negotiating for their TV revenue, but Rosell prefers to look away from Spain's borders towards Europe and his suggestions for the future of the game are unlikely to win him many friends back home.

"We have to reduce the size of local leagues," he said. "In the Spanish league there are currently 20 teams and I think it should be limited to 16," continued Rosell in words that will not be viewed kindly by fans, players and directors of Spain's smaller top-flight clubs.

Rosell wants to see European competitions expanded to compensate for the shorter domestic season.

"The Champions League should expand from 32 to 64 teams," he said.

Rosell was also asked about Leo Messi after saying recently that it would soon be time to start looking at extending the striker's current contract, even though it is not due to expire until summer 2016.

Those declarations were followed last weekend by a flash of anger form Messi, who was shown on TV to argue with Barca striker David Villa after Villa had failed to pick him out with a pass.

Rosell preferred to compare to Real Madrid striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently captured headlines by saying he was 'sad.'

"I don't think that will happen with Messi, he is very happy at Barca. He is a Barcelona supporter and he feels the club's colors close to his hear.t It could happen at other club's but I don't think it will happen at Barca," said Rosell.