24.11.12: IHF Council decision regarding compensation at Men’s World Championship

Date: 2012.11.26 | Category: Forum Club Handball, IHF | Response: 0

According to a letter, sent from IHF to all IHF member federations and some selected Top clubs in Europe on 22.11.2012, IHF will ‘distribute the compensation fees only to those clubs which agree to work directly with the IHF without any mediator … ‘.

Forum Club Handball (FCH) understands this letter as an IHF reaction on the various FCH attempts, to discuss questions like good governance, calendar, compensation for release of players to the National team and insurance on an institutional level.

During the last weeks various letters of FCH to IHF and an FCH invitation for Dr. Hassan Moustafa remained without any answer.

(For receiving a copy of the IHF letter, please contact the FCH office)

22.11.12: Professional Handball Board discusses CL issues

Date: 2012.11.26 | Category: EHF, Forum Club Handball, Professional Handball Board (PHB) | Response: 0

On 19th November 2012 the Professional Handball Board (PHB) discussed the latest developments in the VELUX EHF Championsleague (CL). The FORUM CLUB HANDBALL representatives demanded a joint approach of EHF, National Federations, Leagues and Clubs to work on the improvement of the product CL and the increase of the number of spectators in the arenas. TV ratings have to be improved. The EHF Executive Committee was requested to design individual solutions for the various markets.

15.11.12: Joan Marin/Atletico Madrid elected as board member of the EHF Executive Committee

Date: 2012.11.15 | Category: Forum Club Handball, Professional Handball Board (PHB) | Response: 0

The Professional Handball Board, composed out of two representatives from Players, Clubs, Leagues, National Federations and EHF, elected Joan Marin from BM Atletico Madrid until 2014 as chairman. The chairman of the PHB becomes automatically ordinary member of the EHF Executive Committee. The spanyard is currently also Vice-President of FCH. GB

15.11.12: Basketball Euros only once per Olympic cycle

Date: 2012.11.15 | Category: Other Sports | Response: 0

Basketball will change its international calendar as of 2017. Currently European Championships are played once in two years. As of 2017 European Championships will be played once in four years!

9.11.12: FCH prepares further measures against IHF

Date: 2012.11.09 | Category: IHF | Response: 0

FCH starts to prepare measures against IHF, as the World Hanball Federation refuses any form of communication with FCH. During the last weeks various letters and an invitation for a meeting remained without answer (see below). The preparations shall be finalized until the start of the World Championship in Spain 2013.

3.11.12: FCH invited IHF-President Dr. Hassan Moustafa to a meeting – without receiving any answer

As former efforts to communicate with IHF remained without answer, the FCH President Tomaz Jersic invited IHF President Dr. Moustafa to a meeting in Dusseldorf on 24.10.12. The invitation remained without answer.

22.10.12: FCH offered negotiations to IHF – without answer

On 12th October 2012, just three days after the International Handball Federation (IHF) Meeting with Top Nations in Basle, FCH offered negotiations to IHF. FCH intends to settle questions like ‘Good Governance’, calendar, compensation and insurance in writing. Similar agreements exist in Football between European Club Association (ECA) and UEFA/FIFA and in Handball between FCH and European Handball Federation (EHF). According to the IHF bylaws clubs do not have any claim to receive compensation for release of players to the WCH or insurance coverage for player salaries. The offer of FCH for negotiations remained without answer.

9.10.12: IHF-Top Nations Meeting in Basle – FCH was not invited

International Handball Federation (IHF) invited a number of top nations to a meeting at the IHF Headquarter in Basle/Switzerland. During the meeting IHF announced that the club compensation for release of players to the World Championship (WCH) in Spain will be increase for the nations, finishing 1-8th place will we increased. In the future the clubs will receive 400 CHF per day per player, if the team finishes 1-4th and 300 CHF per day per player if the team finishes 5-8th place. According to our information the compensation for teams finishing 9th-24th and the insurance coverage for player salaries will remain the same as during the WCH Sweden 2011.

IHF will also pay a compensation fee to the clubs for future Men’s Olympic Qualification Events. The compensation will amount to CHF 400.- per player and day for teams ranked 1st, CHF 300.- per player and day for teams ranked 2nd, CHF 150.- player and day for teams ranked 3rd- 4th.

Clubs representatives present complained about the fact that none of the IHF decisions was negotiated with the clubs. FCH was not invited to the meeting.

1.10.12: FCH Board Meeting in Spain

Date: 2012.10.05 | Category: Forum Club Handball, IHF | Response: 0

The FCH Board and the EHFM Men’s Club Marketing Board met in Spain on 1.10.12. The elected representatives from Barcelona/ESP, Celje/SLO, Flensburg/GER, Hamburg/GER, Kiel/GER, Kielce/POL, Kolding/DEN, Madrid/ESP and Schaffhausen/SUI (Lund/SWE and Montpellier/FRA excused) discussed CL topics and the relation between Clubs and IHF.

It was unanimous opinion that the quality of the VELUX EHF Championsleague (CL) has been increased tremendously in the last years. Anyhow clubs and EHF shall increase their efforts and make further investments in the product in order to attract more spectators in the arenas and bigger audiences on TV.

IHF President Hassan Moustafa invited EHF, federation and club representatives from 11 countries (CRO, DEN, ESP, FRA, GER, HUN, NOR, SWE, POL, ROM, SRB) to a meeting in the IHF Headquater in Basel/SUI on 8.10.12. Representatives from important handball countries like ie Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland and others were not invited. The club representatives present prepared themselves for the meeting. One more time all clubs underlined their demand to base the relation between Clubs and IHF on a contractual basis.

Beside the agenda the Montpellier betting/match fixing case was in the center of discussion. Unanimously all clubs condemned the behaviour of the involved persons. All top clubs have clauses in their player contracts which prohibit betting of players and their relatives. The public interest in the case causes significant damage to the handball sports. All top clubs in Europe and their officials are requested to inform their players about the consequences of betting and match fixing for Handball in general.

12.9.12: ECA Meeting Geneva

Date: 2012.09.13 | Category: Forum Club Handball, IHF, Other Sports | Response: 0

FCH Managing Director G. Butzeck was invited as observer to the 9th ordinary General Assembly of European Club Association (ECA), taking place in Geneva on 10.+11.9.12. The content of the new ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’ between UEFA and ECA was presented to the representatives of 135 football clubs. ECA Chairman K.H. Rummenigge (FC Bayern Munich, Germany) expressed himself satisfied with the document. At the same time he is ‘optimistic’ that in the near future a ‘similar agreement’ will be reached with FIFA.

The International Handball Federation (IHF) refused to start negotiations with FCH on a MoU before the next IHF Congress (which will take place in Qatar in October 2013). GB

10.9.12: EHF/FCH Meeting in Achenkirch/Austria

Date: 2012.09.13 | Category: EHF, Forum Club Handball | Response: 0

During the last weekend the newly elected leadership of EHF and FCH met in Achenkirch/Austria to speak about the future of European Handball. The content of the meeting will be reported to the next FCH General Assembly, taking place in Barcelona on 25th/26th January 2013. GB

1.8.12: AG København declares bankrupt

Date: 2012.08.01 | Category: EHF | Response: 0

Denish top team AG Kobenhavn declared bankrupt on 31st July 2012. With the financial support of sponsor Jesper Nielsen AG Kobenhavn became one of the top handball clubs in Europe during the last years, selecting Denish and International top players. Now Nielsen announced that ‘Owners have decided to close the company behind the club’.

This decision might mean that many handball stars are without contract at the beginning of the season. Normally all top clubs have finalized their team rooster in august.

This decision might have consequences for the upcoming VELUX EHF Championsleague (CL) and even the Wild Card Tournament.

Last year Bosnian Sarajevo had financial problems and many players left at the beginning of the season.

Beside Kobenhavn Spanish Reale Ademar Leon faces serious financial problems at the beginning of the season. Leon became third in the previous ASOBAL league and qualified for the upcoming CL season. But almost all top players left the team.

The European Handball Federation Secretary General M. Wiederer acted: ‘We must work on a solution to the general situation in particular concerning the ownership and finances of clubs, especially Champions League club in order to preserve the product. The solution will be a joint effort between the EHF and EHF Marketing.”

24.7.12: FIFA faces dispute regarding player release for the London Olympics

Date: 2012.07.26 | Category: Other Sports | Response: 0

FIFA faces a dispute over the release of three players for the London Olympics. French clubs Lorient and Le Mans have each refused to release a player for the Gabon squad, and the west African team have also failed to secure the release of a third player from a Gabon club.

FIFA lost a case in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2008 which ruled that clubs were not obliged to release players and the governing body are now monitoring the situation with Gabon.

A FIFA spokesman said: “The National federation are trying to come to an agreement with the clubs. We are aware of the situation and we are maintaining a watching brief.”

(Press Association 24/07/2012, by Martyn Ziegler)

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