Some AMs question how much money is developing future stars

It comes as the assembly's culture and sports committee plans to begin a review in the new year.

Sports Minister Alun Pugh called for Welsh football to streamline its committee structure.

But the Football Association of Wales (FAW) said the national team could be banned from competitions if politicians are seen to be too involved.

Speaking on the BBC Politics Show, AMs from across the political divide voiced concerns that the FAW was too focused on the current national team at the expense of building the Wales team of the future.

Developing young talent is the principal work of the FAW Trust, but the bulk of its �1.5m budget comes from the assembly government via sports council grants and not from the FAW, which contributes �120,000.

A lot of the AMs are so ignorant about the football matters David Collins, FAW

In the last accounts to 2004 the FAW made a profit of over �1m which, added to the company's equity, gave it a fund of almost �5m.

Some AMs have questioned the finances of the FAW, including the money spent on new offices rather than investing in club grounds

Labour Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones said: "That's not what Uefa wanted, I don't think it's what Uefa wanted when they gave us that money... I think they wanted to see us develop those clubs."

Mr Pugh said the way Welsh football was funded had to change.

"It's not just the role of government," he told the BBC Politics Show.

"The national governing bodies as well have got considerable resources at their disposal in the case of the biggest national governing bodies - they have got responsibilities too.

There were also calls for the FAW's organisational structure to change, in the way the Welsh Rugby Union and English FA have altered in recent years.

Large, unwieldy committees are often not the best way of making sharp business decisions Alun Pugh

"What you're seeing is a move from huge committees to smaller executive boards," said Mr Pugh.

"You've clearly got to get the accountability right for that but large, unwieldy committees are often not the best way of making sharp business decisions."

Liberal Democrat AM Jenny Randerson said it was a matter of accountability.

"I think that any organisation like that which - although it may not have government money, it does have legitimate interest from the public in it - any organisation like that ought to be answering questions," she said.

But FAW secretary-general David Collins said it was building its reserves to invest in Welsh football.

He said the sport's ruling bodies, Fifa and Uefa, took a dim view of political interference, which could result in a ban.

"A lot of the AMs are so ignorant about the football matters. And, of course, under Fifa and Uefa laws and their statutes, politics and politicians cannot interfere in the governing bodies of football.