The New Saints boss Craig Harrison urges FAW to invest more in Cymru Premier

Craig Harrison has led TNS to seven Welsh league titles

The New Saints manager Craig Harrison has urged the Football Association of Wales to invest more money in the Cymru Premier to help its clubs in Europe.

No team from Wales' top flight has qualified for the group stage of a European competition.

TNS, who have been Welsh champions a record 15 times, face Sweden's Hacken in the first qualifying round of the Champions League on 12 July.

"I think we need more backing from the FAW," said Harrison.

"I know the Irish FA do, both in the Republic and Northern Ireland, but we need more backing from the FAW to break that threshold [qualifying for the group stage] and ideally it's us.

"That's only going to happen with teams turning professional, but that obviously costs money. I understand that.

"Not everyone has got an investor like [TNS owner] Mike Harris, who loves the football club. It's his baby.

"Attendances alone are not going to be enough to look after a football club, so I think that's where the shortfall is.

"Even if it's just a bridge early on to get more clubs more contact time. In turn, we will just naturally do better in European football and would be higher in the co-efficiency point system.

"It's really important for all the Welsh clubs to try and be seeded to give themselves an opportunity."

In response, the FAW told BBC Sport Wales: "The FAW has been working with a wide range of stakeholders to independently review the strategic direction of the Cymru Premier, with member clubs playing an integral role in the process.

"The FAW board is currently considering the independent report and reviewing its recommendations, which will be shared in due course.

"The Cymru Premier's member clubs will play an active role in delivering this strategy, which we hope will help the strategic growth of the division and all other clubs in the pyramid."

As serial winners of the Cymru Premier, TNS are often regarded as the league's best hope of getting into the group stage of a European competition.

They have been dealt a tough draw this season, with their first leg away against Swedish champions Hacken on Wednesday, 12 July.

"We've got to make a jump at some point, take that step at some point," said Harrison.

"We want it to be us. We're a full-time team, we've got the biggest budget, we've got the best facilities. We've won lots of trophies, we've done well in Europe so someone's got to make that jump into some sort of group stage of European football to really push Welsh football on.

"Not just for us but, for Welsh football in general, someone domestically has got to do it."

Harrison added that he had spoken to FAW chief executive Noel Mooney, who played as a goalkeeper in the Irish top flight before embarking on a career in football administration.

"I've spoken to Noel briefly, nothing in any depth about anything in particular, but I would've thought the model he's come from [in Ireland] is probably something he'd like to bring across to Wales," former Middlesbrough defender Harrison said.

"That's not me digging anybody out. It's just generally we need to do a little bit better to support the domestic league.

"It's a great opportunity to do it because the national team are flying, or were up until quite recently, but on the back of getting into big competitions. You've got Wrexham just along the road from us who are really putting Wales and north Wales on the map.

"So I think it's a fantastic opportunity to go and try and push it for everyone in the league and I'm not talking about just TNS, the league in general.

"I'm talking about making the league better, make everyone better and drag everyone along and try to improve generally. And that's everything: facilities, attendances, contact time. A lot of clubs can't afford it. We just need more support."