Louis van Gaal said the current UEFA Champions League format placed too little emphasis on sporting quality and too much on revenue. He criticized the expanded league phase, which since 2024 has featured 36 clubs and eight matches per team instead of 32 clubs and six matches, arguing that the larger differences in strength led to more goals without adding value. He said the competition should include the best teams and be divided into levels, alongside the Europa League and Conference League.

Van Gaal also said the increased number of matches contributed to player injuries and that UEFA had not acted on his earlier calls for fewer games. He described Paris Saint-Germain's 4–2 win over Barcelona as a high-level exception, while arguing that the competition generally needed a different structure.