On 1.4.2009 GCH lodged a complaint against EHF/IHF, challenging the monopoly of the International federations. During the 13th ordinary General Assembly GCH discussed the possibility to split the complaint in two parts: one against IHF and one against EHF.

Since April 2009 GCH is in concrete negotiations with EHF, regarding the change of the structure of European Handball and the involvement of the various stakeholders (clubs, players, leagues) in the decision taking process concerning professional handball issues. The next meeting between GCH and EHF delegations will take place on 11.2.10 in Vienna. A draft of a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (to be presented to the next ordinary EHF Congress) will be discussed.

Splitting the complaint, GCH would be able to suspend the complaint against EHF temporarily.  

At the same time IHF continues to refuse any communication with GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG, a representation of 19 European Top Clubs.  GB

Forum Club Handball (FCH) regards itself to become the acknowledged by EHF and IHF representation of all European Top Clubs.

The 3rd meeting of FCH will take place on invitaiton of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG on the EHF Champions League Final Four weekend in Cologne.

GCH will invite the Top 24 Championsleague Clubs, the Top 16 EHF Cup Clubs, the Top 16 Cup-Winners Cup, the Top 8 Challenge Cup Clubs and all National Champions to the meeting.

The upcoming General Assembly shall confirm the structure of FCH which will operate similar to the acknowledged by UEFA ‘European Club Association (ECA)’ in Football.  GB

A delegation of the US Team Handball Federation with CEO Dieter Esch, President Brad Krassner and Managing Director Steve Pastorino attended the 13th ordinary meeting of GCH on 31st January in Vienna.

The delegation presented its plans to develop Handball in the USA. GCH member clubs will study the possibilities, how to support the development of the European Sport ‘Handball’ in the big sport market of North America.  GB

World class player Oleg Veliki passed away during the EURO 2010. During the 13th General Assembly in Vienna the new GCH-member Rhine-Neckar-Lions proposed to host a Charity match in favor of the family of the former Ukrainian and German International. The GCH member clubs agreed unanimously and decided to release at least one player each to create a ‘GCH World Selection’.

HSV Hamburg, the last club of Veliki, plans to organize a Charity match on the same purpose against the German National Team. 

Both events will be coordinated between the Clubs in favor of Kataryna and Nikita (6) Veliki.  GB

Please find the following press information on the IHF-Homepage:

Historical moment for Handball

2010-01-29

On the fringes of the 9th Men’s European Championship in Austria a high potential working group met in Vienna on 28 January.

On initiative of the IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa, representatives from the IHF, from the continental federations, national federations and, for the first time in handball history, representatives from four top clubs, met to discuss the future calendar of international handball and the involvement of the stakeholders into international handball in general. Specifically, proposals for an implementation of a releasing fee, an increase of the prize money and for a launching of an appearance fee were discussed. The members of this group of experts agreed basically on the following points:

1.    Coordination of the international competition calendar
2.    Launching of a releasing fee system
3.    Launching of an insurance system for players during the World Championship

The meeting participants supported the steps of the European Handball Federation to create a Professional Handball Board, integrating the current stakeholders, National Federations, Clubs, National Leagues, and Athletes, permanently dealing with issues regarding professional handball in Europe.

The International Handball Federation basically supports the idea of building a forum of expert’s representing the professional handball and is always open to the problems the members of the handball family might have, but not for subgroups who are not affiliated to the IHF.

The experts who met today created the following working group which will work out the details of the individual points:

•    Sandi Sola (Representative IHF)
•    Dr Mansourou A. Aremou (Representative of continental federations)
•    Alexander Toncourt (Representative EHF)
•    Ulrich Strombach (Representative of national federations)
•    Patrice Canayer (Montpellier HB, General Manager)

The results of the elaboration of this Working Group will be presented and discussed on the fringes of the Final Four of the EHF Men’s Champions League on 29/30 May 2010.

The meeting was held in an open and positive atmosphere and the participants emphasized their interest in the development of the sport handball on all fields.

Today for the first time during the Presidency of Hassan Moustafa the International Handball Federation (IHF) invited club representatives to discuss about Calendar issues. In the presence of the Continental Federation Presidents and various National Federations Presidents (CRO, FRA, GER, ESP) the participants from BM Ciudad Real, THW Kiel, HB Montpellier and RK Zagreb took the chance to raise further questions, such as ‘Compensation for release of players to the national team’ and ‘Insurance in case of injury during World Championships’.

It was achieved a common opinion about the fact that the

– International Calender has to be harmonized

– Compensation for release of players has to be discussed

– a solution regarding the insurance problem has to be found.

IHF agreed to continue the work on the mentioned issues.

As the working group is no body of the IHF, no decisions were taken in Vienna. GB/UD

For the first time in history the EHF will pay compensation to Clubs for the release of players to the national teams. Due to a statement of Secretary General M. Wiederer the Executive Committee will be requested to take an according decision next Friday.

Although the amount (400.000 Euros) is not the result of negotiations between EHF and Clubs, GCH welcomes the decision and regards it to be a step in the right direction. The commitment was made by EHF during the negotiations of EHF and GCH.  GB

Initiated and promoted by Ralf Uhding, Board Member of the Toyota-Handball-Bundesliga, GCH President Joan Marin invited the President of the US-Team Handball Federation, Dieter Esch and the Managing Director, Steve Pastorino, to the 13th ordinary General Assembly of GCH, taking place on 31st January 2010 in Vienna.

The US-President and the GCH Member Clubs will study the possibilities of future cooperation. GB

On occasion of the final weekend of the EHF EURO 2010 the next General Assembly of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG will take place in Vienna on 31.1.2010. For the first time the three new member clubs KS Vive Targi Kielce/POL, Kadetten Handball/SUI and Rhine-Neckar-Lions/GER will participate in the meeting. GB

The 12^th ordinary General Assembly of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG took place in Madrid on 2nd November 2009.  

Joan Marin/BM Ciudad Real und Xavi O’Callaghan/FC Barcelona were re-elected unanimously as President and Deputy President of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG.

The assembly discussed the results of the Limassol EHF-Congress in detail, especially Motion No 5, regarding the invention of a ‘Professional Handball Board’. The motion was supported by 22 nations, but 10 votes were missing for the required 2/3 majority (21 against, 4 abstentions).

For the second time the Executive Committee tried to involve the clubs in the structure of European Handball and for the second time (first time in Rome 2007) the according motion did not achieve the required majority the EHF highest body.

As a reaction the General Assembly of GCH confirmed the complaint, lodged with the European Commission on 1.4.2009 unanimously.

Anyhow GCH is ready to continue the dialogue, started with the EHF Executive Committee. GCH-President Joan Marin will attend the next ExCo meeting in Kopenhagen on 20^th November 2009 and inform about the position of the clubs.

The General Assembly discussed the invitations, received by players of GCH member clubs for the match between the Croatian National Team and a World Selection, scheduled on 2^nd December 2009. The date, the insurance and the compensation for release of players were not agreed between IHF and clubs. The date is not acceptable, as important matches in the national leagues take place around this date. The clubs agreed to take common action in this matter. More information will follow on 6.11.09. GB