The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League final is yet to take place, but clubs across Europe are already fully focused on the qualifying rounds of the 2023-24 edition of the tournament.
One of those is JD Cymru Premier champions The New Saints, who are approaching the end of their second week of pre-season when Manchester City and Inter Milan are still not at the end of the previous campaign.
“We had four weeks off which is more than enough time,” TNS boss Craig Harrison says. “We’ve got a good set of lads who are good professionals and they all had programmes to follow while they were away.
“They had a couple of weeks doing nothing before gradually easing themselves back in at home and now we are into our second week of training so everything is going well.”
Harrison is preparing for his second season back at Park Hall after returning to the club last summer and leading them to a domestic double.
TNS lost just one league game as they claimed the JD Cymru Premier title before winning 6-0 in the JD Welsh Cup final against Bala Town. It was an impressive campaign, but Harrison admits that it left him wanting more.
“Everyone who knows me knows that I wanted to win the Nathaniel MG Cup too and go unbeaten throughout the league season, but that is me being greedy and I set high standards.
“But overall we were happy. It doesn’t always go the way you want when people return to football clubs and there was probably a bit of pressure due to the success we had before.”
Harrison is The New Saints’ most successful ever manager, leading the club to six consecutive league titles in his first spell at the club which led to annual adventures on the continent in the UEFA Champions League.
The 45-year-old speaks with pride about his memories of the competition, from winning home and away against B36 Torshavn and Tre Penne, to being 1-0 up at half-time against Legia Warsaw at the Racecourse Ground.
“It is always a fantastic experience to be involved in the Champions League. It is the most elite club competition in the world and we are so proud to be in it, representing Wales and the Cymru Premier. You are pitting yourselves against the best coaches and the best players, even in the early stages.”
TNS will find out their opponents for the first qualifying round in the draw on 20 June, before the ties take place on the weeks commencing 10 and 17 July.
Harrison’s side will be seeded in the draw and are guaranteed further action on the continent as clubs beaten in the UEFA Champions League move on to ties in the UEFA Europa League and/or UEFA Europa Conference League.
“All our planning at the moment is concentrated on the European campaign,” Harrison says. “We want to go further than we have done before, we want to emulate clubs who we feel we’re at the same standard at such as Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers, or last year Linfield. That’s where everyone’s focus lies right now.”
No Welsh club has ever progressed to the group stages of a European competition, but Harrison has set his sights on changing that.
“The introduction of the Europa Conference League a couple of years ago has given an opportunity for smaller clubs to get through to group stages. It would be great for the football club to do that, but also big for Wales and for the league.
“It is so important for our domestic game that someone gets through to a group stage and we would love it to be us. We aren’t shying away from that challenge.”
With five European campaigns already on his CV, Harrison is well aware of the challenge that lies in wait but he is confident that his team will be fully prepared come next month.
“We know that a lot of things are going to have to fall for us. We need a good draw, have everyone fit and then play well. Our goalkeeper is probably going to have to have a good night, we will likely have to win away from home. But we know the levels of performance and commitment that are needed to progress.”
