Riolo proposes reducing Champions League to 16 'elite' teams

According to Riolo, the tournament has been held under the new format for the third season already, and believing that it was designed for entertainment is naive. The journalist believes the reform was introduced primarily for financial reasons and as a response to the Super League project, with organizers simply unwilling to lose revenue.

"Let’s stop being hypocritical. Let the tournament have 16 teams—only the elite—and from September to May, we will watch exclusively big matches. I’m tired of this format with endless point calculations. If every game decides something, all matches will become interesting," Riolo stated during the *After Foot* program on RMC Sport.

When asked to name an example of an 'elite' club, he mentioned Aston Villa, which is currently in the top 8 of the overall standings.

"Tuesday’s match didn’t grab my attention because it decided nothing. The only solution is 16 participants—only the strongest. And there’s no need to convince us that a game between Slovan and PSG is needed by anyone. That’s nonsense," Riolo added.