On  January 8th 2010 the IHF for the first time during the presidency of Hassan Moustafa invited Club representatives to a working group on Calendar issues. On this occasion GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG sent a letter to the IHF-President. Please find the letter below:

Dear Mr. President,

For the first time during your presidency (beside an unofficial meeting with former GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) Vice President U. Schwenker in December 2008) you scheduled a working group meeting with the participation of club representatives.

As you know the European Handball Federation (EHF) is in permanent contact with GCH in order to find solutions for the most urgent topics in European Handball.

GCH appreciates very much that you obviously intend to involve the clubs in decision making process of the International Handball Federation (IHF).

In order to avoid misunderstandings we would like to clarify that the invited Clubs possibly will express their personal opinion – but they will have no mandate to speak on behalf of the clubs in general or on behalf of GCH in particular.

As you are obviously willing to listen to clubs, we would like to inform you about the general position of the European Top Clubs as follows:

Priority requests of major European Handball Clubs (GCH) vis-à-vis EHF/IHF

1. Clubs must be an accepted element of the European/International handball policy making environment and must therefore be integrated in the EHF/IHF decision making body (=> seat(s) in EHF/IHF (Executive Committee)

2. Appropriate direct representation has to be given to the major European Clubs (GCH) who are the principal wealth creators in handball and eventually represent the principal attraction for the financial backers of the game

3. Clubs competing regularly at international level and whose players are regularly called upon for playing with their national team must be directly involved in the elaboration and approval of a harmonized international calendar

4. Clubs competing regularly at international level and whose players are regularly called upon for playing with their national team must be directly involved in the elaboration of all major competition formats (including national team/competitions, since these competitions require the presence participation of a majority of players employed by said clubs)

5. Clubs competing regularly at international level must be involved directly in the elaboration and approval of International club competition regulations, both on continental and World level.

6. Whenever participating clubs are co-owners of the rights deriving from an international club competition (i.e. EHF Champions League), all aspects outside the field of exclusive competence of a regulatory body (EHF/IHF), in particular commercial and organizational aspects have to be managed by a mixed body composed of the clubs concerned and the organizer (EHF/IHF).

7. A reasonable share of the revenue generated by major final tournaments of A-national teams (European Championship, etc) must be distributed to the clubs who release players for these tournaments (à “players’ release compensation”)

8. Insurance cover for players injured on the occasion of national team duty (not limited to final tournaments) must be assumed out of a central pool, fed from revenue generated by national team competitions (-> centrally marketed final rounds)

This document was confirmed by all GCH member clubs during a General Assembly in January 2007.

In particular the GCH-member clubs are – like the big majority of Handball fans all over Europe – in favor of 3 big Championships (1 Continental Championship, 1 World Championship and Olympic Games) instead of currently 5 (2 Continental Championships, 2 World Championships and 1 Olympic Games) within one Olympic Cycle (4 years).

If this should not be possible due to financial needs of the various federations, we demand at least a reduction from 5 to 4 Championships. In this case the Continental Federations and the World Federations should have 2 events each within one Olympic Cycle, ending up with 2 continental Championships, 1 World Championship and 1 Olympic Games.

These championships should be played – like in Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Icehockey – between the end and the start of the season.

GCH member clubs unanimously prefer the European and the World Championships to be played in the period after the end of the Club Season – which means end of May/beginning of June.

The Olympic Qualification Tournament should be abolished.

The participants of the Olympic Games should be determined on the basis of the results of the last World- and Continental Championships.

The World Championship Qualification should be played with the Play-Off System – as in the past.

Dear Mr. President, of course it is a good idea to discuss the Calendar question in a mixed body. You invited Continental representatives, Federation representatives and Club representatives although the clubs which are present during your meeting are not entitled to confirm any draft of a calendar for the next years. But they are willing to listen to your arguments.

GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG will discuss the statements of the working group during their meeting on 31st January in Vienna where you or anyone you designate from your organization will always be welcome.

We understand that the nominated working group can’t take any decisions. All decisions should be taken by mixed bodies, including (as in football/UEFA) the opinion of all stakeholders namely players, leagues, clubs and federations. Hopefully the European Commission will give us some advice in this respect.

We kindly ask you to consider the opinion of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG during your meeting on 28.1.2010 in Vienna.

In Football the clubs and the federations reached an agreement on the most important issues in January 2008. We should work in the same direction.

With kind regards

GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG

Joan Marin/President

GCH took notice of the statement of IHF President Hassan Moustafa regarding the World Selection match in Croatia, published on 12.11.2009 (see text below).

The member clubs of GCH refused to send players to this match, as there was no agreement achieved upon date, insurance and compensation between clubs and federations. In the future according negotiations should be led in due time prior to the event, taking in account the justified interests of the clubs.  

The clubs offered/offer their support to the Croatian Federation in order to find a appropriate date for the match.

GCH acknowledges that the IHF President for the first time expressed his ‘deepest respect towards the strong European Clubs’ which is not in line with earlier statements, made by Hassan Moustafa, for example during the ‘Competitions Conference in Vienna’ in April 2008.

Up to today, IHF repeatedly refused to speak to clubs, arguing that the clubs are no members of the International Handball Federation.

GCH is working on the improvement of the structure of European Handball in close cooperation with EHF and ready to start according negotiations on international level at any time. GB

IHF Webpage, 12.11.09:  The „World Selection”, concept is not to make any profit, but to show our respect to all players, to support them and to show our compliments to all National Federations by celebrating with them a special event as for example the 60th anniversary of the Croatian Handball Federation. The World Selection participated during the past in several events which were very successful and the whole world knew about these matches where the best players from different countries are selected by the IHF.
Nevertheless the G-14 (Group Club Handball) denied sending its players to this special event. Primarily I feel sorry for the Croatian Handball Federation, the organizer of the event as they will celebrate their federation anniversary. The world selection is consisting of thirty players, outside G-14 all players confirmed their participation and the IHF was ready to play the match.
But after receiving a phone call from the President of the Croatian Handball Federation who asked to postpone the match of the World Selection, the IHF decided to comply with this request. The President of Croatian Handball Federation confirmed also this wish by letter (copy attached). It is worth to mention that in addition to the World Selection match in Croatia, the IHF already received a request from the Royal Spanish Handball Federation for a next World Selection to be played in Spain in June 2010.
Despite my deepest respect towards the strong European Clubs, the World Selection has to be represented, as in former times, by players from all continents.
The IHF is wishing for promoting handball and enhance relationship among handball family.

Sieben Klubs der GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG werden keine Spieler zur Weltauswahl entsenden, die am 2.12.09 in Zagreb auf die Kroatische Nationalmannschaft treffen soll.

Die Internationale Handball Federation (IHF) hatte das Spiel aus Anlass des 60-jährigen Bestehens des Kroatischen Verbandes angesetzt, ohne mit den betroffenen Klubs

BM Ciudad Real – Sterbik+Enterrios (GCH Member Club)

SG Flensburg – Knudsen+Christiansen (GCH Member Club)

HSV Hamburg – Gille+Lijevski+Lindbergh+Bitter (GCH Member Club)

Kadetten Handball – Filip (GCH Member Club)

THW Kiel – Omeyer+Narcisse+Jicha+Ahlm (GCH Member Club)

TBV Lemgo – Kraus (GCH Member Club)

HB Montpellier – Karabatic+Kavticnik+Gigou+Hmam (GCH Member Club)

Rhein-Neckar-Löwen – Stefansson+Sigurdsson (GCH Member Club)

über das Datum, die Versicherungsmodalitäten oder eine Abstellungsentschädigung zu sprechen.

Heute haben die Klubs die IHF und den Kroatischen Verband darüber informiert, dass sie keine Spieler für das Spiel abstellen. Wichtige Spiele der nationalen Ligen finden in zeitlicher Nähe zu dem geplanten Termin statt.

Die Klubs ziehen außerdem in Erwägung, künftig keine Spieler mehr zu IHF-Events abzustellen, wenn über die genannten Punkte nicht rechtzeitig eine Einigung zwischen Klubs und Weltverband erzielt wurde. Auch hierüber wurde die IHF schriftlich informiert.  GB

IHF: Seven GCH Member Clubs refuse to release players to a match of the World Selection

The International Handball Federation (IHF) scheduled a match on occasion of the 60^th anniversary of the Croatian Handball Federation between the Croatian National Team and a World Selection on 2nd December 2009 in Zagreb.

The date, the insurance of the player salaries in favour of the clubs in case of injury and the compensation to the clubs for release of players was not agreed between the concerned clubs

BM Ciudad Real – Sterbik+Enterrios (GCH Member Club)

SG Flensburg – Knudsen+Christiansen (GCH Member Club)

HSV Hamburg – Gille+Lijevski+Lindbergh+Bitter (GCH Member Club)

Kadetten Handball – Filip (GCH Member Club)

THW Kiel – Omeyer+Narcisse+Jicha+Ahlm (GCH Member Club)

TBV Lemgo – Kraus (GCH Member Club)

HB Montpellier – Karabatic+Kavticnik+Gigou+Hmam (GCH Member Club)

Rhein-Neckar-Lions – Stefansson+Sigurdsson (GCH Member Club)

and IHF prior to the event.

Today the clubs informed IHF and the Croatian Federation that they will not release the players to the match. Important matches of the national leagues in Germany, France and Switzerland are scheduled close to 2^nd of December.

The clubs added that they consider not to release any players to IHF events in the future, if the mentioned points are not agreed prior to the event between clubs and IHF.    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

Dusseldorf, 2.4.09

GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH), a grouping of 16 European top Handballclubs from 8 countries, lodged a complaint with the European Commission, DG Competition, against International Handball Federation (IHF) and European Handball Federation (EHF).

The complaint is based on the fact that previous negotiations with both organisations have not provided satisfactory results. All structural changes, implemented in European Handball during the past 2 years, are not a result of negotiations between the concerned parties (Clubs and Federations) but unilateral decisions of the EHF-Congress.

In the complaint, GCH denounces various major violations of article 81/82 EC committed by IHF and/or EHF:

1. the imposition on the clubs of excessive and unfair conditions regarding the release of their players in favour of the federations and of IHF/EHF themselves (national team competitions);

2. the prohibition for the clubs to organize themselves, at international level, the club competitions and, as a corollary, the exclusive control exercised by IHF/EHF on all the aspects of such international club competitions, in particular the commercial and financial aspects, using when needed their sporting competences (monopoly on the services of the referees, etc.) in order to maintain this economic monopoly;

3. the unilateral determination of the calendar, i.e. the sharing of the playing dates between national team handball and club handball;

4. more generally, the total exclusion of the clubs from the governance of international handball;

5. the prohibition for the clubs (and for the players) to seek redress in the ordinary courts and, as a corollary, the obligation to settle any disputes exclusively within the “arbitration” bodies set up or recognised by IHF/EHF.

For the first time, the European Commission is officially asked to examine the compatibility of player release rules as well as rules related to the production of sport club events (champions league) with EU competition law. Morever, it should be noted that this request comes from an European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG), whose members are the leading handball clubs in Europe”.

The IHF/EHF, on the one hand, and the top professional clubs (in particular GCH’s members), on the other hand, are fierce competitors on the same market.

They compete for the availability of players (and playing dates, i.e. calendar), arenas, TV rights and advertising/sponsoring resources, agencies and of course spectators.

However, the result of this competition relationship is not regulated by the “market” but by the unilateral “authority” of IHF/EHF, which use their governing position in order to maintain (or increase) the market position they find adequate.

In short, IHF and EHF impose, on pain of sanctions, to all clubs in the world, in particular to GCH’s members clubs, the release of their employed players:

· without any financial compensation;

· with the obligation to ensure them against injuries and illness for the duration of such release;

· as many times and for as long as unilaterally decided by IHF/EHF;

· in order to produce a competing product, i.e. national team events, to the club’s product, i.e. club events.

As a result, in 2008, the German national team gathered for a total of 125 days and the Croatian national team for a total of 170 days.

Last but not least, IHF and EHF schedule their national team events in particular in January, which is the best period of the year for handball (due to weather conditions and to the winter break in football) and which is right in the middle of the clubs’ season, whose continuity is abruptly interrupted (to the detriment of clubs, sponsors, fans, etc.). When the clubs resume their activities, they will have to do so with exhausted (if not injured) players.

GCH’s members clubs consider that, subject to proper insurance and financial compensation to be borne by the federations, a release of their players for a maximum duration of 45 days per year, outside of the clubs’ season, would be adequate in order to guarantee the existence of sound national team events.

EHF controls and decides unilaterally (thus, excluding the clubs from the decision – making process) the format and the marketing model of the European club competitions, in particular the EHF Champions League.

In GCH’s view, the clubs in general and the GCH’s members clubs in particular (as main co-owners of the rights of the European Club handball events, in particular the EHF Champions League) should enjoy the unfettered freedom to organise, to market and to manage their international competitions, EHF’s role being strictly limited to acting as guardian of the sporting ethics, having responsibility for all matters connected with refereeing of matches and with the discipline guaranteeing the respect of the different rules of the game and the sporting ethic on and off the pitch.

The complainant asks from the European Commission to hold:

– that the IHF/EHF rules on release of players constitute unjustified restrictions of competition, hence violating article 81 of the EC Treaty, in particular since these rules, generate to the detriment of the clubs restrictions that are nor inherent nor proportionate to the legitimate objective of maintaining an adequate level of national team competitions;

– that the system of prior authorisation regarding the organisation of club handball matches, as well as the unilateral organisation/management of the European club competitions by EHF, implemented by the various denounced provisions, as such constitute unjustified restrictions of competition, in particular since IHF/EHF are direct and major competitors of the clubs

– that the existing IHF/EHF rules and/or practices regarding the sporting calendar constitute unjustified restrictions of competition, hence violating article 81 of the EC Treaty

– that, more generally (the rules on player release and on the calendar being just examples of it), the total exclusion of the clubs from the governance of international handball (for all questions affecting directly or indirectly the clubs), as currently organized by the IHF/EHF rules, constitutes an unjustified restriction of competition, hence violating article 81 of the EC Treaty,

– that the existing IHF/EHF rules that prohibit in particular the clubs to seek redress in the ordinary courts, in particular since these rules, as currently structured, enable IHF/EHF to maintain the above mentioned restrictions and thus generate to the detriment of the clubs restrictions that are nor inherent nor proportionate to the legitimate objective of promoting an harmonious development of both international club handball and national team handball;

Dr. Gerd BUTZECK, General Manager of GCH, states the following:

“In Basketball first and later on in football, thanks to the “Charleroi case”, the clubs and the international federations have come to terms and have found a better balance between club and national team events. GCH is convinced that, on the basis of the decision to be rendered by the European Commission, a similar evolution will take place in handball”.

GCH is represented by the famous expert on European Sport law, Mr. Jean-Louis DUPONT.

(Lawyer DUPONT is in particular known for having led the following cases: BOSMAN (1995), HAGI (1996), BALOG (1998), which provoked a global evolution of the FIFA regulations on transfer, MECA-MEDINA, the case that let the ECJ, on 18 July 2006, (against the opinion of the European Commission) to judge that all rules adopted by the international federations fall within the scope of EU law (no “sporting exemption” in favour of the federations) as soon as they have economic consequences and The CHARLEROI CASE, as counsel for G-14, which generated the out-of-court settlement (15 January 2008) whereby the top football clubs, on the one hand, and FIFA/UEFA, on the other hand, agreed on a new better balanced relationship between club football and national team football).

DUPONT states:

“It is not justified, nor morally nor legally, that some Swiss based entities, like IHF, restrict exaggeratedly the freedom of hundreds of EU companies, i.e. the clubs, to develop a truly European sport model, for the benefit of all EU consumers.

In particular, those restrictions are unacceptable since they are enforced not in the general interest of handball but by real competitors, i.e. the federations, and in order to unduly favour national team handball, to the excessive detriment of the clubs.

A better balance has to be found between all interested parties, on the basis of the legal clarification that GCH has requested from the European Commission”.

GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG* asks for detailed explanations of Hassan Moustafa, President of the International Handball Federation (IHF).

On occasion of it’s 10th ordinary meeting, held on 2nd February 2009 in Zagreb, GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) dealt with a number of irregularities within the International Handball Federation (IHF), having been provoked by it’s President Hassan Moustafa.

GCH discussed in detail the following issues which have brought this sport in serious disrepute:

Travel expenses compensation scandal

The President of the IHF, Hassan Moustafa, received more than 500.000 CHF from International Handball Federation (IHF) for compensation of travel expenses without forwarding any receipts.

Egyptian Doping affair during the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Athens

The Egyptian team played with half of their players only whilst the other half of the squad was sitting on the tribune; the Egyptian Federation and their President Hassan Moustafa complained about the fact that they had not been informed about the scheduled Doping controls prior to the tournament.

Payments around the Egyptian World Championship 1999

According to a report of the German Spiegel-online magazine, dated 31.1.09, 695.420,98 USD were not received by the Egyptian Federation until 1.9.2003, but deposited on an account at Credit Mutual bank in Strasbourg.
The authority to sign for this account was with Hassan Moustafa.

Wada Code/Holdhaus resignation affair

Due to various statements of Prof. Hans Holdhaus, former Chairman of the Anti-Doping-Unit of the International Handball Federation (IHF), Hassan Moustafa cut the anti doping budget of the medical commission and requested to be informed about doping controls upfront. The independent anti-doping unit was dissolved. This endangers the status of handball as Olympic sport.

Toyota Olympic Qualification affair

For the first time in history an Olympic qualification tournament had to be re-played, as the Jordanian Referees had obviously been cheating (CAS, case 2008 O 1483). The German referees Lemme/Ulrich initially nominated by the International Handball Federation (IHF) were withdrawn by IHF President Hassan Moustafa.

Despite these facts the Council of the International Handball Federation (IHF) decided unanimously to invite Peter Muhlematter to resign as General Secretary during the IHF council meeting in Zagreb, on 31st January 2009.

After careful examination of the above issues, GCH unanimously came to the conclusion that IHF President Hassan Moustafa (and not Peter Muhlematter), by his irresponsible conduct, is causing serious damage to international Handball and herewith puts in danger the status of Handball as an Olympic sport.

As a result, GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG asks Hassan Moustafa as President of the International Handball Federation (IHF) for detailed explanations and invites all governing bodies in handball to put their efforts in restoring order and respect for the rules and fair spirit of the game.

* ‘GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG – Circle of the Best’ is an European Economic Interest Group, representing the interests of the following clubs:

FC Barcelona (ESP), Celje Pivovarna Lasko (SLO), Chehovskie Medvedi (RUS), BM Ciudad Real (ESP), SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER), HSV Hamburg (GER), THW Kiel (GER), KIF Kolding Elite A/S (DEN), TBV Lemgo (GER), Reale Ademar Leon (ESP), SC Magdeburg (GER), Montpellier HB (FRA), Portland San Antonio (ESP), Pevafersa Valladolid (ESP), MKB Veszprém KC (HUN), HC Croatia Osiguranje-Zagreb (CRO).