Today SportBild/Germany, No 50/2010, published an interview with the IHF President. Hassan Moustafa expressed himself about the death of handball, smaller goals, reduction of the number of big competitions, glue, finances, too many foreigners in German TOYOTA Handball-Bundesliga (HBL) and the future of Heiner Brand.

?SportBild: Mr. Moustafa, you are receiving us in a really marvellous Villa.

Hassan Moustafa (65): Thank you, we like it as well. Did you receive already a guided tour through the location?

?SportBild: No, not yet.

Hassan Moustafa (65): We’ll do it later. The IHF used to have only a few rented rooms in Basel which were no longer sufficient for our needs. I explained to the town mayor that we have to move to Lausanne, if we do not succeed to change this. After that we were offered this Villa for 2.3 Mio Euros. We took the chance, as we received  1 Mio USD support from the International Olympic Committee.    

?SportBild: As President of the World federation IHF you are not afraid of big amounts. How much the federation is earning with the  World Championship, taking place next January in Sweden?

Hassan Moustafa (65): Between 75 and 80 Million Swiss Francs (between 58 and 62 Mio Euros). When I took the leadership 10 years ago, it was 12 Million Swiss Francs (9 Mio Euros). Handball is on the right track.  

?SportBild: You are regarded as the Sepp Blatter of Handball. This is not necessarily a compliment, as you are attracting a lot of critics like the President of the Football World Federation.

Hassan Moustafa (65): Sepp is a good friend of mine. We understand each other very well, we meet on regular basis, exchange opinions. Look, I played Handball myself, I was coach and an international referee. I am not a normal President, I am a technician. An expert with his own ideas.

?SportBild: Which ideas?

Hassan Moustafa (65): I myself was a backline player, I graduated about goalkeeper play. The goalkeeper is 30-35% of the success of a team. His actions are the most spectacular moments for the fans. I would reduce the size of the goals. Also I think it to be possible, to enlarge the goalkeeper area from 6 to 7 meters.  

?SportBild: Why that?

Hassan Moustafa (65): A goalkeeper can make more saves and as a consequence start more attacks – and Handball will become even faster. We are also tackling the glue problem.   

?SportBild: The glue problem?

Hassan Moustafa (65): Yes. Glue increases the grip of the ball. But after a few minutes the playing ground is dirty, and you do not see the advertising and the color of the ball. This is bad. We are working together with our partners in order to develop non visible glue substitute. We are also thinking about different floors and shoe soles.   

?SportBild: Are there any new calendar ideas? The biggest resistance is arising out of the packed calendar. Every year either a World Championship or a European Championship. Additionally Olympic Games every four years. Are you going to change this?

Hassan Moustafa (65): No, this would be the death of handball. We need these competitions and the according earnings, in order to develop Handball worldwide. 

?SportBild: The German National team coach Heiner Brand cancelled a training last week, as his players were to tired.

Hassan Moustafa (65): When I used to be the President of the Egyptian Federation, we had the following rule: First priority is with the National team, second priority is with the National team, third priority is with the National team. In Germany it’s different. The league should support Heiner, but it does not. I know, the clubs do not like to hear it: I would be the best, if the German Federation would control the German league.   

?SportBild: Why?

Hassan Moustafa (65): A league match of, for example, Grosswallstadt and Kiel has a television audience of 300.000. If Germany is fighting for medals in a World Championship, only in Germany you have more than 10 Million spectators. That is important.  

?SportBild: Germany became World Champion in 2007, but is no candidate for the title in Sweden. Why?

Hassan Moustafa (65): The German Bundesliga has too many foreigners. This league is promoting the stars from France and Croatia, playing in this league. So the German players get the shorter end. Heiner can not enforce his position. This is a pity.   

?SportBild: Heiner Brand was very angry with you when the IHF awarded the World Championship 2005 to Tunesia. The German Federation wished to remove you during these times.

Hassan Moustafa (65): Directly after such a decision very often the anger is big. Later one understands things. The German Federation is our biggest and most important member, an exception. I am in a good relation with Heiner. I would be glad, if he would provide his knowledge to IHF after his time as a National team coach.  

?SportBild: Your are offering a job to Brand, once he finished his job as National team coach in 2013?

Hassan Moustafa (65): If he has good ideas, we will listen to him. Handball needs ideas and specialists as Heiner Brand.

SportBild 50/2010, Interview by D. Gessner and S. Beckedahl, 15.12.2010

The President of the German Handball Federation (DHB) Ulrich Strombach announced that he will withdraw his proposal to reduce the number of big championships from currently 10 in 8 years to 8 in 8 years. His proposal to the upcoming IHF Congress suggested three Continental Championships, three World Championships and 2 Olympic Games in 8 years. Due to a lac of support of other leading nations Strombach announced the withdrawl. 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

For the first time in history the International Handball Federation (IHF) invited the presidents of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (FCH) Tomaz Jersic/Pivovarna Lasko Celje and GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) Joan Marin/BM Renovalia Ciudad Real to a meeting with presidents of leading handball nations.

On 17.9.2010 in Basle IHF President Dr. Hassan Moustafa informed that IHF will pay to the clubs for the World Championship (WCH) Sweden 2011 a compensation for release of players to the WCH in the amount of about 1.000.000 Swiss francs.

At the same time the club representatives were informed that IHF will establish an insurance fund of 500.000 Swiss francs in order to compensate clubs in case of player injuries. GB

IHF Media information, dated 20.9.2010:

The International Handball Federation will pay a compensation fee to all clubs releasing their players during World Championships  from 2011 on – and will insure all participating players during the WCH. Those were the results of the historical meeting of IHF with top federations and club organisations last Friday 17 September 2010 at the IHF Head Office in Basle. -mo-

The total amount of those compensation fees will be approximately 1 million Swiss Franc for every Men’s World Championship, starting with the tournament in Sweden in 2011. Those compensation fees are divided  in an IHF compensation for the players per day (not per match) and a club bonus system for the time of training and preparation the player spend  for the World Championships. The amount of the daily compensation will be in total 736.000 Swiss Franc, the bonus payment is 288.000 Swiss Franc.

Including prize money, compensations, qualification bonus, host fee and insurance the IHF grants a total cost of 3,774 million Swiss Francs for each Men’s World Championship. The prize money increased to a total of 450.000 Swiss Francs – 200.000 Swiss Francs for the title holder, 150.000 Swiss Francs for the Silver medalist, 75.000 Swiss Franc for the Bronze medalist and 25.000 Swiss Franc for the fourth ranked team.

Historical moment for GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG – CIRCLE OF THE BEST and FORUM CLUB HANDBALL – HEART OF THE GAME: For the first time during his presidency the President of the International Handball Federation (IHF) Dr. Hassan Moustafa officially invited the presidents of both club organisations Joan Marin (BM Ciudad Real) and Tomaz Jersic (Celje Pivovarna Lasko) to a meeting with the presidents of Europes leading handball nations. The meeting will take place on 17th September 2010 in Basle/Switzerland. On the agenda: ‘Exchange of opinions’, ie ‘Competitions Calendar’ and ‘Appearance Fee’.  GB

The working group ‘Calendar’ met on 1.4.2010 in Basle. GROUP CLUB HANDBALL (GCH) member clubs FC Barcelona, Ciudad Real and THW Kiel were invited to the meeting which took place under the chairmanship of IHF President Hassan Moustafa who underlined ‘that the clubs are very important for handball in general’.

BM Ciudad Real was represented by GCH President Joan Marin, FC Barcelona by GCH Deputy President Xavier O’Callaghan. THW Kiel was not able to follow the invitation due to a match of the German TOYOTA-Handball-Bundesliga on the same day.

Further participants: M. Roca/IHF 1. Vice-President, Sandi Sola/IHF Treasurer, Joel Delplanque/IHF Secretary General, Mansourou Aremou/President Africa, Alexander Toncourt/Assistant Secretary General EHF, Uli Strombach/President Germany, R. Witte/President German League.

Among others the working group discussed the following issues:

1. Calendar

1.1 Time period of World Championships (WCH)

1.2 Time period of Continental Championships

2. Compensation for National Federations for participation in WCHs

3. Compensation for Clubs for release of players to World Championships

4. Insurance of player salaries in case of injury

Results:

Point 1: IHF will study the possibility to organize WCHs in September/October.

Continental Championships shall take place in the same time period.

Point 2: IHF intends to pay compensation to National Federations, participating in WCHs.

Point 3: IHF intends to pay compensation to Clubs, releasing players to WCHs.

Point 4: IHF is looking for insurance/fund solutions.

The discussions will be continued on occasion of the EHF Final Four in Cologne.

Comment: For the second time Club representatives were invited by IHF to discuss the most important issues: Calendar, compensation for release of players to the national teams and insurance of player salaries in favor of the clubs.

Obviously IHF intends to change its strategy and involve all stakeholders in the decision making process.

Up to now the clubs invited are selected by IHF. Clubs are invited individually – and not as representatives of a group of clubs.

Starting from May 2009 the FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) will be the representative of interests of all European Top Clubs. GB 

GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) took position in the conflict between European Handball Federation (EHF) and International Handball Federation (IHF) regarding the motions which will be forwarded to the IHF Extraordinary Congress on Bylaws, taking place in Rome on 23./24.4.2010.

The proposed changes include a dramatic increase of power for the IHF President. GCH is very concerned about these proposals.

GCH supports the position of EHF that key responsibilities shall be ‘held by different persons of different status so that they may check and control each other’. IHF should follow the democratic principle of “checks and balances” which is the basis for any democratic organization.

GCH President Joan Marin informed EHF President Tor Lian today accordingly.

On 24/25.4.2010 the International Handball Federation (IHF) Congress on Bylaws will take place in Rome.

The leadership of the European Handball Federation (EHF) criticized in a letter, dated 10.3.2010 and addressed to all European member nations, the proposals of the International Handball Federation (IHF) Council to change the IHF bylaws and increase the power of IHF President Hassan Moustafa dramatically:

‘… the point that we find the most worrying is the structural reform proposed in this document. It would result in one person, the President, simultaneously holding several responsibilities: President, President of IHF Marketing, Head of Administration, Treasurer or Financial Controller. This is in total contradiction with the principle of “checks and balances”’

IHF replied on 23.3.2010 to all European National Federations. The letter is signed by all Council members beside Tor Lian, Jean Brihault, Joel Delplanque and President Hassan Moustafa.

The 13 Council members ‘fully decline’ all EHF statements. Even more:

‘We rather consider them as an attempt to manipulate and mislead the entire handball community in the personal interest of a few individuals from the EHF.’

The Council Members address the EHF President and Vice-President as ‘a few individuals’ and impute ‘personal interests’.

The Council Members state that ‘he (Lian) voted in favor (of the motions in question) and had no objection’. In the EHF letter Lian denies that the motions were treated in the Council meeting and refers to the minutes.

The Council Members continue: ‘… The phrasing of the letter is not respectable and not worthy of such a major federation. We believe this is a classic example of improper conduct and an illicit attempt to discredit others in the personal interest of a few individuals.’ and summarize:

 ‘… we must strength the power of the President as if we have a weak president, the whole handball organization will collapse. ….. As for the personal attacks against the IHF President; the Executive Committee and Council members are disappointed to see such wording formulated by someone who is a member of the important IHF bodies. We declare ourselves against such irresponsible accusations. We are civilized and respected personalities, everyone in his field of activities. Therefore we do not make such accusations against one another in this manner and without evidence.

…. We are wondering if these allegations are raised because the President is a non-European!’ GB

During the last Council Meeting of International Handball Federation (IHF) in China (Dec 2009) the compensation for President Hassan Moustafa was increased from 30.000 CHF to 500.000 CHF per year (according to DER SPIEGEL 4/10). According to the motions which shall be presented to the IHF Congress in Rome 23/24.4.2010 the influence of Hassan Moustafa shall be increased dramatically.

So the President in the future shall become the ‘Head of Administration’,  ‘control the financial transactions’ and ‘is entitled to take decision in-between Executive Committee meetings’. Further more: ‘The President of the Executive Committee is the Chairman of the IHF Marketing AG’.

The European Handball Federation (EHF) informed their member nations accordingly on 10.3.2010. According to EHF the motions are not a proposal of the IHF Council, as claimed by IHF. Further more, the motions are not a ‘direct result of the work performed by the “working group” appointed by the President of the IHF’.

If the motions are not proposed by the IHF Council and not a result of the appointed Working Group, one has to raise the question who proposed/proposes the mentioned motions.

EHF finds the structural reform ‘the most worrying’. lt would be ‘one person, the President, simultaneously holding several responsibilities: President, President of IHF Marketing, Head of Administration, Treasurer or Financial Controller.’

Summarizing the situation, the President and the Vice-President of EHF state that ‘such an approach can only be interpreted as a move towards more opacity when we need more transparency and more despotism when we want more democracy’. GB