FIFA.COM News: The FIFA Congress will also be asked to approve the new worldwide player insurance project which was approved by the Executive Committee in March. Starting in August 2012, this major new undertaking will see FIFA insure all players involved in all international “A” matches listed in the international match calendar. The provisional budget for this project amounts to USD100 million. FIFA is also working on an insurance solution for the Olympic Games.
39 Clubs from 19 countries registered for the 8th General Assembly of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL, taking place in Cologne on 27th May 2012 on occasion of the EHF VELUX CHAMPIONSLEAGUE FINAL4 event. In the first part of the meeting the club representatives will listen to the reports. In the second part the assembly will elect a new board and representatives for the various bodies in EHF and EHFM. After a break the assembly will discuss the relation between clubs, EHF and IHF. The relation between clubs and EHF is based on a Memorandum of Understanding, an according agreement with IHF is missing. In March 2012 IHF refused one more time to base the relation on a contractual basis. GB
The football Championsleague final produced a record TV-audience in Germany, but not in Europe. In England, Italy, Spain and France the TV audiences were smaller than last year.
The handball EHF Velux Championsleague Final4 will be transmitted live and delayed in more than 100 countries, among them:
Albania (Eurosport 2), Algeria (Dubai Sports 1/2), Angola (Setanta Africa, SPORT.TV Africa), Armenia (NTV Plus, Eurosport 2), Australia (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Austria (Sport+, Eurosport 2), Azerbaijan (NTV Plus, Eurosport 2), B, hrain (Dubai Sports 1/2), Belarus (NTV Plus, Eurosport 2), Belgium (Eurosport 2), Benin (Setanta Africa), Bosnia Herzegovina (Arena Sport, Eurosport 2), Brunei (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Bulgaria (Eurosport 2), Burkina Faso (Setanta Africa), Cameroon (Setanta Africa), Cape Verde (SPORT.TV Africa), Costa Rica (TDN), Croatia (HRT 2, Eurosport 2), Cyprus (Cyprusport, Eurosport 2), Czech Republic (DigiSport, Eurosport 2), Denmark (DR 1, TV2 Sport, Eurosport 2), Djibouti (Dubai Sports 1/2), Dominican Republic (TDN), Egypt (Dubai Sports 1/2), El Salvador (TDN), Eritrea (Dubai Sports 1/2), Estonia (Eurosport 2), Fiji (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Finland (Eurosport 2), France (Sport+, Eurosport 2), FYR Macedonia (Sitel 3, Eurosport 2), Gabon (Setanta Africa), Georgia (GMG Sport 1, NTV Plus, Eurosport 2), Germany (Eurosport Germany, Eurosport 2), Ghana (Setanta Africa), Greece (Eurosport 2), Guatemala (TDN), Honduras (TDN), Hong Kong (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Hungary (DigiSport 1, 2, Eurosport 2), Iceland (RUV, SportTV, Eurosport 2), India (Ten Sports), Indonesia (Telkom Vision, Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Iran (Dubai Sports 1/2), Iraq (Dubai Sports 1/2), Ireland (Setanta Sports, Eurosport 2), Israel (Sport 5), Italy (Sport Italia 2, Eurosport 2), Japan (EX Sports), Jordan (Dubai Sports 1/2), Kazakhstan (NTV Plus, Eurosport 2), Kenya (Setanta Africa), Korea (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Kosovo (Eurosport 2), Kuwait (Dubai Sports 1/2), Kyrgyzstan (NTV Plus), Latvia (Eurosport 2), Lebanon (Dubai Sports 1/2, Eurosport 2), Libya (Dubai Sports 1/2), Lithuania (Eurosport 2), Luxembourg (Eurosport 2), Madagascar (Setanta Africa), Malaysia (Astro, Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Mali (Setanta Africa), Malta (Eurosport 2), Mauritania (Dubai Sports 1/2), Mexico (TDN), Moldova (NTV Plus, Eurosport 2), Montenegro (Arena Sport, Eurosport 2), Morocco (Dubai Sports 1/2), Mozambique (SPORT.TV Africa), Myanmar (Skynet, Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Netherlands (Eurosport 2), Nicaragua (TDN), Nigeria (Setanta Africa), Norway (TV2 Sporten, Eurosport 2), Oman (Dubai Sports 1/2), Palestinian Territories (Dubai Sports 1/2), Panama (TDN), Papua New Guinea (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Philippines (Solar Entertainment, , urosport Asia-Pacific), Poland (Polsat Sport, Eurosport 2), Portugal (Sport TV 1, 2, 3, Eurosport 2), Qatar (Dubai Sports 1/2), Romania (DigiSport, DigiSport +, Eurosport 2), Russia (NTV Plus, Eurosport 2), Rwanda (Setanta Africa), Saudi Arabia (Dubai Sports 1/2), Serbia (Arena Sport, Eurosport 2), Singapore (StarHub, Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Slovakia (DigiSport, Eurosport 2), Slovenia (RTV 2, Eurosport 2), Somalia (Dubai Sports 1/2), South Africa (Setanta Africa), Spain (TVE Teledeporte, Eurosport 2), Sri Lanka (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Sudan (Dubai Sports 1/2), Sweden (Viasat Sport, Eurosport 2), Switzerland (SSF, Eurosport 2), Syria (Dubai Sports 1/2), Tajikistan (NTV Plus), Tanzania (Setanta Africa), Thailand (TrueVision), Togo (Setanta Africa), Tonga (Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Tunisia (Dubai Sports 1/2), Turkey (SportsTV, Eurosport 2), Turkmenistan (NTV Plus), UAE (Dubai Sports 1/2), Uganda (Setanta Africa), Ukraine (NTV Plus Sport, Eurosport 2), USA (TDN), Uzbekistan (NTV Plus), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City TV, Eurosport Asia-Pacific), Yemen (Dubai , ports 1/2), Zambia (Setanta Africa)
The information was provided by EHF Media service.
Information of the FCH Election Supervisor: According to the statutes every club may nominate a FCH board member. The candidate board member had to be nominated until 13.5.2012.
According to the EHF European Cup Club Ranking 12/13 the nation, ranked first, the nation ranked second, the nations ranked 3-6, the nations ranked 7-12 and the nations ranked 13-49 will receive one seat in the board each (plus deputy).
In due time FCH Member Clubs nominated the following candidates as FCH Board Members:
Nation 1 (GER): Dierk Schmaeschke, Flensburg (member) + Sabine Holdorf-Schust, Kiel (deputy)
Nation 2 (ESP): Joan Marin, Madrid (member) + Xavi O’Callaghan, Barcelona (deputy)
Nations 3-6 (FRA, RUS, HUN, SLO): Tomaz Jersic, Celje (member) + Robert Molines, Montpellier (deputy)
Nations 7-12 (DEN, SUI, ROU, CRO, POR, MAK): Soren Colding, Copenhagen/DEN (member), Peter Leutwyler, Kadetten/SUI (deputy)
Nations 13-49 (SWE, BIH, SRB, POL, NOR, AUT …): Karl Löfmark, Lund/SWE + Bertus Servas, Kielce/POL + Magnus Clarke, Dublin/IRL
The FCH General Assembly will elect the board members. The election will take place on 27th May 2012 during the 8th ordinary FCH General Assembly.
Gerd Butzeck/Election Supervisor
According to an official announcement EHF executive Alexander Toncourt passed away today. One of the best of this handball world has gone. He was always available for all members of the handball family – and he was always a friend. ‘Ali’, we will never forget you!
Surprisingly IHF declared to be unable to discuss a ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’ with the clubs. The MoU was supposed to base the relation between Clubs and IHF on a solid basis. Only 4 months ago IHF stated the President welcomes the proposal of a MoU and envisaged according negotiations.
According agreements – regulating compensation, insurance and calendar issues – do exist between UEFA and European Club Association (ECA) and between European Handball Federation (EHF) and FCH. The FCH General Assembly will deal with the issue on 27th May 2012 in Cologne. GB
The International Handball Federation (IHF) established an insurance for player salaries in case of injury for the last World Championship/Sweden 2011 and for the Olympic Games (OG) Qualification Tournament in April 2012. IHF does not plan to write an insurance for the OG in London 2012. A high IHF Official confirmed last week: ‘This will be under the responsibility of the National Olympic Committees’. GB
The first seminar for Handball Club Managers will take place in Cologne/Germany from 24.5 to 26.6.2012.
All European club managers, participating in the various European Cups, will be obliged to attend one seminar within the next 3 years. The seminar is based on the ‘Best practice’ system, granting concrete support to increase the number of spectators and sponsors in handball. At the same time concrete information for daily work in handball will be provided.
Clubs are kindly requested to register as quick as possible (hoeritsch@eurohandball.com) due to a limited number of available places. Registration will be on ‘first come – first serve’ basis. Deadline for registration: 20.4.12! GB
According to information of InsideWorldFootball (5.4.2012) FIFA decided that the participation in Olympic Games is compulsory for U23 players. According to FIFA this decisions is covered by existing rules that state “a duty to release players exists on the basis of a special decision by the FIFA Executive Committee”. ECA Vice-President Gandini/AC Milan commented that this decision came ‘completely out of the blue’. ECA President Rummenigge/FC Bayern attended a recent FIFA strategy meeting at which the under 23 issue never arose. In Football the Olympic Games are not part of the International Calendar ‘and therefore the participation has never been compulsary’, added Gandini. Obviously FIFA took the decision without discussing the issue with the stakeholders concerned. The ECA board will discuss the FIFA decision during a board meeting in Munich next week.
In Warsaw the 8th General Assembly (GA) ECA announced a new agreement with UEFA, replacing the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU), signed in 2008. The new agreement shall run from 1st June 2012 until 30th May 2018. Therefore it includes the EURO 2012 in Poland/Ukraine but not the World Cup 2018 in Russia.
For the first time UEFA agreed to establish an insurance, covering the injury risk of players while on international team duty for all National team matches, including both official and friendly matches.
The compensation, paid to clubs for release of players to the National teams, will be increased significantly. Details will be announced during the next UEFA Congress in March 2012.
In the future clubs will have a ‘Referral Right’ on all decisions affecting club football. This means that no further decision will be taken without the consent of the clubs.
The number of National team matches will be reduced. International matches will be played as double-headers only. There will be no more single friendlies in the future.
In the future no player will be allowed to play more than one international tournament per year. In Handball FCH is complaining for more than 5 years that players do play two competitions every 4 years in the Olympic season on regular basis and demanding a reduction of the number of big competitions.
ECA Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge/FC Bayern München commented on the agreement ‚as a major break-through for European Club football‘. At the same time he continued to criticize that ‘the situation remains unsatisfactory in relation to FIFA’.
After a stop of the negotiations between FIFA and ECA regarding a long term agreement, ECA representatives did not follow FIFA invitations to attend FIFA club meetings during the last months.
Forum Club Handball (FCH) signed a similar agreement with European Handball Federation (EHF) in May 2010 which expires in June 2014.
In February 2012 FCH and International Handball Federation (IHF) decided to start negotiations on an agreement, regulating the relation between Clubs and IHF. For the moment the clubs have no claims for compensation or insurance. According to the statutes of IHF the clubs are not even existing. GB