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