Starting in 2009-2010 the First Qualifying Round for the Champions League has only 4 clubs and 2 pairings (6 clubs and 3 pairings if the defending champion does not qualify from its league). Points from qualifying round wins and draws do not go into club coefficients but they do go into country coefficients. What I think is unfair is that a club that starts in the First Qualifying Round could advance and contribute country coefficient points before losing on aggregate by a lot in the Second Qualifying Round and still help its country coefficient more than a better club that starts in the Second Qualifying Round and is eliminated on a close aggregate. In other words, I would expect the champion of the 50th best league (leagues 50 through 53 have their champion start in the First Qualifying Round) to help its coefficient better than the champion of the 49th best league and possibly even the 40th best league. Here is the impact of the First Qualifying Round on Malta: 2006-2007: 0.166 2007-2008: 0 2008-2009: 0 2009-2010: 0.750 (the Maltese champion lost both First Qualifying Round games) 2010-2011: 1.500 (the Maltese champion won both First Qualifying Round games and this provided 2/3 = everything is rounded down to 0.666 or 4/9ths of Malta's coefficient) Here is the impact of the First Qualifying Round on Andorra: 2006-2007: 0 2007-2008: 0.500 2008-2009: 0 2009-2010: 0.500 (the Andorran champion played draws in both First Qualifying Round games and this was all of Andorra's country coefficient) 2010-2011: 0.000 (the Andorran champion lost both First Qualifying Round games) Montenegro, the newest member of UEFA, had its champion start in the First Qualifying Round in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 and advance through that round but score no goals in the Second Qualifying Round either season. I think it's still too early to evaluate Montenegro's league. Montenegro got 1.125 in 2009-2010 of which 0.500 (4/9ths) came from the First Qualifying Round of the Champions League. Montenegro got 1.750 in 2010-2011 of which 0.500 (2/7ths) came from the First Qualifying Round of the Champions League. I think it could be cyclical with countries whose champion is good enough to advance through the First Qualifying Round if they have to play in it giving their country a better country coefficient than it usually has and moving the country coefficient high enough that the champion starts in the Second Qualifying Round the next time. Then that country's champion will contribute no points to the country coefficient from the Second Qualifying Round and have the country coefficient get passed by another country whose champion started in and advanced through the First Qualifying Round that season. During the two seasons of the new format Andorra in 2010-2011 and Faroe Islands in 2009-2010 were the only times a country got 0 coefficient points in a season. I think the First Qualifying Round should be expanded to include some Champions that currently start in the Second Qualifying Round with other champions that currently start in the Second Qualifying Round being moved up to the Third Qualifying Round. Right now here is where the 52 champions start assuming the Champions League defending champion qualifies through its league: Group Stage: 13 Third Qualifying Round: 3 Second Qualifying Round: 32 First Qualifying Round: 4 Treating the 13 in the Group Stage as a given, I would change it to something like: Third Qualifying Round: 7 Second Qualifying Round: 20 First Qualifying Round: 12