http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial...ul?ICID=HP_FT_1HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
The Champions League was expanded and completely revamped ahead of the 1999-2000 season. Up until the 1996-97 campaign only one team per nation, the title holders, were granted entry. There followed a two-year spell in which teams were seeded in the draw based on their national association coefficient.
Manchester United, famously in 1999, became the first team to win the Champions League without previously winning their domestic league. From 1999-2000 on, however, teams were effectively put in control of their own seeding.
Uefa, since then, has utilised a club-specific coefficient for each team based on results achieved in European competition over the preceding five years, plus 20 per cent of the whole association coefficien
HOW THINGS COULD CHANGE
If Uefa considered only results from the preceding season it would give a more accurate picture of which teams deserve, on form, to be seeded one to eight. Clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain would come into the top eight while under-performing sides like Arsenal would slip down.
Uefa could also consider utilising a free draw from the start which would ensure that the best team in Europe would face more potential hazards along the way than they presently do.
By eradicating the rule which stipulates that teams representing the same national association cannot face each other until the quarter-finals, Uefa would also give other national assocations a fair crack at preventing Spain, England and Germany from dominating too heavily.
United are still heavily reliant on their run to the final in 2011 to buffer their coefficient standing.
Since then they have won a grand total of six Champions League matches in two seasons, two of which came against Otelul Galati. 
This post has been edited by Nodrigues on 29 Aug 2013, 11:36
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Uefa Champions League 2013-2014, Qualifying Round/Play-off
