Wednesday 9 March 2011 – Professional Handball Board (Text:EHF)

The Professional Handball Board (PHB) is a common strategic platform for the key stakeholders within European men’s handball. It is made up of representatives of National Federations, Clubs, European Professional Leagues and Players, with two representatives from each stakeholder group making up the Board. The Chairman of the Professional Handball Board also has a seat on the EHF Executive Committee. 
Present at the second meeting of the PHB on Wednesday 9 March were Morten Stig Christensen / DEN and Philippe Bana / FRA representing the National Federations and the Nations Board, Gerd Butzeck / GER and Joan Marin / ESP representing the Clubs through Forum Club Handball and Reiner Witte / GER and Arne Josefsen / DEN representing the Professional Leagues through the European Professional Handball League Association, which held its inaugural meeting at the end of February 2011.

The final group to join the PHB were the Players, represented in an observer status by Marc-Olivier Albertini, a representative of the European Handball Players Union (EHPU). This followed a coordination meeting the day previously between the EHF and EHPU, in which the approval of the Union’s structure and statutes as well as the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding were discussed.

Representing the EHF Executive Committee were EHF Vice President, Jean Brihault, and Jan Tuik. EHF President, Tor Lian, and EHF Secretary General, Michael Wiederer, were also present in the meeting.

Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

The PHB elected a Chairman, Joan Marin / ESP representing the clubs through the Forum Club Handball. Joan Marin will now join the EHF Executive Committee for the coming period. Reiner Witte / GER representing the professional leagues through the European Professional Handball League Association was elected Vice-Chairman of the PHB.

EHF European Championships

The PHB also discussed proposals for changes to the schedule of future EHF European Championships. From the next Men’s EHF EURO in Serbia in 2012 it is proposed that the first two groups would throw off on Sunday, with the next two on Monday. Semi-finals would be played on Friday, Saturday would become a rest day and finals would be played on Sunday. This new match schedule will contribute to a better periodisation of match and rest days for the teams and players.

After clarification with the 2012 organisers, the Serbian Handball Federation, the approval of the optimised schedule will be put to the next meeting of the Executive Committee in Vienna on 8 / 9 April 2011.

In relation to the future of the EHF European Championships and the EURO product, there was an exchange of information about the development of a TV, media and marketing strategy in order to further optimise the product.

Insurance

The PHB discussed the idea of an overall insurance system for national team players and in particular compensation for the salaries of injured players from a fund. The various options will be evaluated in a workshop in order to create a proposal for the next PHB.

European club competitions

The issue of possible future systems for European Cup and EHF Champions League competitions was raised for the first time. It was agreed that this subject together with the question of playing dates and the overall calendar will be examined in detail through a major study by external specialists of the entire competition system and effects of any changes on the handball market.

Education of handball managers

There was unanimous agreement from those present to introduce an education/further education programme for managers in handball. A concept will be developed by a working group in March in order to present a concept to the EHF Executive Committee.

Additional discussions

The PHB further discussed the issues of communication between stakeholders, the information and decision making process within the EHF structure and also external communications to the handball and media world.

Last but not least the meeting was informed of the outcome of the previous Competitions Commission meeting and the proposals that would be presented to the EHF Executive Committee. There was common agreement that the meeting was conducted in a positive atmosphere.

TEXT: EHF

EHF Press Release: see www.eurohandball.com

EPHLA and EHF sign Memorandum of Understanding

The European Handball Leagues are one of the groups of stakeholders which is part of the Professional Handball Board (PHB).

The general assembly of the European Professional Handball Leagues Association (EPHLA) took place in Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona/ESP) on 17 February 2011.

At that occasion the EPHLA presented new statutes, which are in conformity with the requirements of the European Handball Federation (EHF).

The EPHLA consists of the handball leagues of the following seven European countries: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden. According to the new statutes also joint members will be allowed.

At the general assembly the EPHLA a new Executive Council with President Reiner Witte (GER) and Vice President Arne Josefsen (DEN) was elected.

On behalf of EHF President Tor Lian, EHF Vice President Jean Brihault and EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the EPHLA.

This document lays the foundations for the participation of representatives of the leagues as the third concerned party at the next meeting of the PHB on 9 March 2011 in Vienna. The EPHLA will be represented by their Executive Council.

At the occasion of the general assembly of the EPHLA the EHF also started talks with the European Handball Players Union (EHPU), representing professional handball players, in order to provide a mutual basis. (Text: EHF)

Today EPHLA, the association of European Professional Handball Leagues, signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with the European Handball Federation. Congratulations!
This document serves as a tool to implement the Leagues in structure of European Handball. The leagues will send two representatives to the ‘Professional Handball Board’. 
The assembly elected EPHLA President Reiner Witte/GER and Arne Josefsen/DEN. The following leagues were present: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Spain, Sweden. GB

The first meeting of the newly established PROFESSIONAL HANDBALL BOARD (PHB) will take place in Vienna (AUT) on 24.11.2010. The representatives of Clubs, National Federations and EHF will define the tasks of the body and a timetable. A chairman – who will represent the PHB inside the EHF Executive Committee – will be elected. 
The club organisation FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) will be represented by Vice-President Joan Marin/Renovalia Ciudad Real and General Manager Gerd Butzeck. Player and League organisations will join PHB at a later stage. GB

On 29.5.2010 FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) nominated the representatives for the Professional Handball Board (PHB): FCH Vice-President Joan Marin and FCH General Manager Gerd Butzeck were nominated. After the Copenhagen Congress EHF nominated EHF Vice-President Jean Brihault/FRA and the President of the Competitions Commission, Jan Tuik/NED as representatives. Yesterday the national team board nominated Morten Stig Christensen/DEN and Phillipe Bana/FRA.

The European league (EPHLA) and player (EHPU) organisations are not yet recognised by EHF. Therefore no representatives will be present during the first meeting which will take place in November 2011.  GB

Motion No 1 was the most discussed topic of the 10^th ordinary Congress of the European Handball Federation (EHF), held in Copenhagen/DEN. Several times in the past an EHF Congress refused to give influence to clubs on the development of professional European handball.

A 2/3^rd majority was needed to approve the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) – signed by Forum Club Handball (FCH) and EHF already in May 2010 – and to implement the Professional Handball Board (PHB) into the statutes of EHF.

EHF Vice-President Jean Brihault/FRA who lead the negotiations with the club organization on behalf of EHF, explained the motion to the congress in detail. When the discussion was opened, to the surprise of the club representatives present, the President of the International Handball Federation (IHF) Dr. Hassan Moustafa was the first to take the floor.

‘Although I am not allowed to give you advice….’ Moustafa started with congratulations for the ‘good and well prepared motion’. He continued to speak in high terms about MoU and PHB and recommended to ‘stop the war’ and unify resources for the competition with other sports. Already in his opening speech at the beginning of the congress Moustafa explained to the participants that ‘we (IHF) follow the way of the EHF’ in the handling of club matters. He informed that on 17.9.2010 IHF announced payments to clubs for release of players to the World Championship (WCH) in Sweden 2011 and the introduction of an insurance fund in order to compensate clubs in case of player injuries. GB

On 24th September 2010 the 10th ordinary Congress of the European Handball Federation (EHF) approved the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU), signed by EHF President Tor Lian and FCH President Tomaz Jersic on 29.5.2010 in Cologne. The according motion reached a 85% majority. 

The MoU serves as basis for the further cooperation of clubs and federations in professional European handball.

At the same time the Congress implemented the ‘Professional Handball Board’ (PHB) into the statutes of EHF. In the future the PHB shall represent interests of clubs, leagues, players and federations and advise the EHF Executive Committee in all questions regarding professionell handball. GB

On 7.9.2010 EHF Marketing GmbH announced a partnership with VELUX Group/Denmark. The world leader in windows signed a contract to become title sponsor of the ‘VELUX EHF Men’s Championsleague’. The partnership is agreed for the upcoming three CL seasons.
At the same time EHFM Managing Director Peter Vargo announced the prolongation of the ‘Jack and Jones’ Sponsorship Contract and confirmed negotiations with SHARP Electronics.

On the edges of the EHF Chamionsleague Final4 Domingo Diaz de Mera, President and main Sponsor of the 3 times Championsleague winner BM Ciudad Real, gave an interview to Deutsche Handballwoche (No 27, published on 6.7.2010).

In the interview de Mera expressed the wish that the new Professional Handball Board (PHB) will organize a European League, according to the example of the American Basketball League NBA.

De Mera already presented this idea to GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) member clubs in 2008.

In the same interview the Spanish entrepreneur acknowledges the results of the work of GCH which are fixed in the ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’, signed by EHF and FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) on 30.5.2010: ‘Clubs will better represented inside EHF in the future, they will have influence on the calendar and receive their share of the financial success of the federations’. GB

On 30.5.2010 at 14:22 hours Tor Lian, President of European Handball Federation (EHF), M. Wiederer, General Secretary of EHF, Tomaz Jersic, President of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) and Joan Marin President of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) signed the ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’ which in the future will serve as basis for cooperation between Top European Professional Handball Clubs and EHF.

‘This is a milestone in the relation between clubs and EHF’ said the FCH President, not denying the hard work which had to be done through the last years. ‘All European Top Clubs will benefit from the agreement in terms of compensation for release of players, insurance, representation and calendar questions’.

For more details about the MoU please click our page: ‘Forum Club Handball’.

FCH is now recognized by EHF and therefore are an integral part of the Handball family.

As a consequence the GCH complaint lodged with the European Commission was withdrawn today.   

In a first FCH action President Jersic offered support to International Handball Federation (IHF) in all questions regarding professional handball. GB