The EHF Executive Committee decided not the renew the Memorandum of Understanding with the ‘European Handball League Association’ during its ordinary meeting on the fringes of the IHF World Championship in Hamburg in December 2017. The current agreement between EHF and EPHLA expires on 30^th June 2018. At the moment EPHLA has two seats in the EHF Professional Handball Board which is the body to exchange views between players, clubs, leagues, National Federations and EHF.

As of July 2018 EHF intends to set up a ‘European League Board’. All National Federations are requested to nominate a representative for the assembly of the European Handball Leagues.

The anual ordinary FCH Board meeting will take place in Spain on 16./17.10.2017. The Board of the Men’s Forum will take place on 16^th, the Board of the Women’s Forum will take place on 17^th October 2017. The meeting will be attended by the President and Secretary General of the European Handball Federation (EHF).

The major topics on the agenda will be the future cooperation between FCH and EHF, as both ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) are expiring on 30^th June 2018. GB

During todays conference call the FCH-Board dealt with the ‘Palmarsson case’. According to various press information the player informed his club Telekom Veszprem HC via WhatsApp at the beginning of the preparation phase of season 17/18 in July 2017 that he is not willing to be part of the team although he has a valid contract until June 2018. This behavior of one of the top players is not acceptable. It causes various and severe problems to the management of the multiple EHF VELUX CL FINAL4 participant.

The board of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) unanimously condemns all type of disrespect of existing contracts, regardless whether it concerns players or clubs. Both parties are called to respect existing agreements at any time.

Today Women FCH Vice-President Gordana Naceva declared her resignation as Board member. Gordana Naceva expresses her thanks to the Board members for the good cooperation in the past and wishes continued success for the future.

On 23rd September German weekly sports magazine ‘SportBild’ reported on confidential plans to set up a world league in Handball. According to SportBild the former Manager of TBV Lemgo and SG Flensburg Fynn Holpert is one of the protagonists to run the project. A second person to support the project is Wolfgang Gütschow as the representative of a group of sport investors.

Further details will be announced at a later stage.

FIFA and UEFA prolonged their agreements with the European Club Association (ECA) until 2022. This was announced during the ordinary ECA General Assembly in Stockholm. The Clubs will receive a compensation of 209 Mio USD for the participation in the 2018 and 2002 World Cups. ‘A symbolic figure’, as highlighted FIFA Sec General Jerome Valcke. ‘FIFA wants to show that clubs and federations are of the same importance for FIFA. Every of the 209 member Federation receives 1 mio USD Support from FIFA within 4 years.’ Clubs will be represented in the various bodies of FIFA and UEFA in the future. ECA will delegate 2 representatives into the UEFA Executive Committee. FIFA signed an insurance which covers player salaries in case of injuries during National Team appearances.

The International Handball Federation (IHF) still refuses any type of contact with the European Club Organisatin FORUM CLUB HANDBALL.

On 1st June the 12th General Assembly of Forum Club Handball elected a new board. Joan Marin/Spain unanimously was elected as new President, Dierk Schmäschke/Flensburg and Bertus Servaas/Kielce became Vice-Presidents. Further board members are Jens Boesen/Kolding-Copenhagen and Karl Lofmark/Lund.

The elections in detail:

1.  Election Board Member Nation ranked 1 (GER)

Candidate Board member: Dierk Schmäschke/Flensburg

was elected unanimously with one abstention.

2.  Election Board Member Nation ranked 2 (ESP)

Candidate Board member: Joan Marin/proposed by the Board

was elected unanimously with one abstention.

3.  Election Board Member Nations ranked 3-6 (FRA, DEN, SLO, HUN)

DEN Candidate Board member: Jens Boesen/Kolding-Copenhagen

SLO Candidate Board member: Tomaz Jersic/Celje

FRA Candidate Board member: Robert Molines/Montpellier withdrew his candidature before the election and announced that he will be only candidate as deputy board member.

A secret election took place. Jens Boesen was elected as board member.

4.  Election Board Member Nations ranked 7-12 (RUS, SUI, CRO, MKD, POL, BLR)

POL Candidate Board member: Bertus Servaas/Kielce

was elected unanimously with one abstention.

B. Servaas was not present, as he received an important honor in Poland on the same day.

5.  Election Board Member Nations ranked 13-50 (ROU, SWE, POR, NOR, SRB, UKR, GRE, … IRL

SWE Candidate Board member: Karl Lofmark/Lund

GRE Candidate Board member: Stathis Papachartofilis/Doukas Athens

IRL Candidate Board member: Magnus Clarke/Dublin

A secret election took place. Karl Lofmark was elected as board member.

6.  Election Deputy Board Member Nation ranked 1 (GER)

Candidate Dep Board member: Sabine Holdorf-Schust/Kiel was elected unanimously with one abstention.

7.  Election DeputyBoard Member Nation ranked 2 (ESP)

Candidate Dep Board member: Xavier O’Callaghan/Barelona was elected unanimously with one abstention.

8.  Election Deputy Board Member Nations ranked 3-6 (FRA, DEN, SLO, HUN)

SLO Candidate Dep Board member: Tomaz Jersic/Celje withdrew his candidature in favor of Robert Molines.

FRA Candidate Dep Board member: Robert Molines/Montpellier was elected unanimously with one abstention.

9.  Election Deputy Board Member Nations ranked 7-12 (RUS, SUI, CRO, MKD, POL, BLR)

SUI Candiate Dep Candidate Board member: Peter Leutwyler/Kadetten Schaffhausen was elected unanimously with one abstention.

10.         Election Deputy Board Member Nations ranked 13-50 (ROU, SWE, POR, NOR, SRB, UKR, GRE, … IRL

GRE Candidate Board member: Stathis Papachartofilis/Doukas Athens

IRL Candidate Dep Board member: Magnus Clarke/Dublin

Clarke was elected as Deputy Board member in secret election.

Further positions were elected:

FCH treasurer: Dierk Schmäschke/Flensburg

FCH comptroller: Gerd Hofele/Göppingen

FCH member of the EHF Professional Handball Board: Joan Marin/Spain and Gerd Butzeck/FCH

FCH member of the EHF Men’s Club Marketing Board: Xavi O’Callaghan/Barcelona and Sabine Holdorf-Schust/Kiel

FCH member of the EHFM Advisory Board: Nomination delegated to the FCH-Board

Further decisions were taken:

Discharge: The assembly granted discharge to the outgoing board.

Women Forum Club Handball: FCH will cooperate with Women Forum Club Handball. An according agreement will be signed.

Budget: The Budget for the period 1.7.2014 – 30.6.2016 was adopted.

Refereeing: It was proposed to replace the head of the refereeing by an international committee of experts. This shall reduce the pressure on the current head of refereeing and give a better feeling to the participating teams. The proposal was supported by the assembly unanimously. It was decided that an according proposal for EHF shall be prepared.

World selection: The FCH General Assembly decided that in the future FCH member clubs will release players to EHF/IHF Selection matches only, if date, compensation for the clubs and insurance of the player salaries in case of injury are agreed between FCH and EHF/IHF. This decision does not concern the upcoming match of the World Selection in Egypt in favor of a children cancer hospital.

Next Assembly: The next General Assembly will not take place in Qatar. The new board will decide, if and where to organize a FCH General Assembly in January 2015.

The first ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU), signed by the presidents of  European Handball Federation (EHF) Thor Lian and Forum Club Handball President Tomaz Jersic on 31st May 2010, expires on 30th June 2014. The presidents of EHF and FCH will meet on the fringes of European Championship in Herning/Denmark in order to renew the agreement. An earlier meeting took place in May 2013 in Nantes/France. For the ordinary General Assembly of FCH the MoU will be the major topic on the agenda on Saturday morning. The MoU describes rights and obligations in the relation between clubs and EHF. 35 FCH member clubs from 19 countries registered for the General Assembly. GB

On 14th October 2013 the annual FCH Board Meeting will take place in Spain. EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer and Markus Glaser, Head of the Competition departement, will be guests of FCH. The major topic of the Agenda will be the future Championsleague system. Almost one half of the FCH member Clubs would like to increase the number of CL-matches although the second half of the clubs would like to stay with the current system or even decrease the number of CL matches.

In the second – internal – part of the meeting, FCH will determine the conditions for the renewal of the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ between Clubs and EHF which expires in June 2014.

Comunicado oficial: CLUB BALONMANO NEPTUNO (BALONMANO ATLÉTICO DE MADRID)

El Club Balonmano Neptuno comunica a todos los aficionados y seguidores del Balonmano Atlético de Madrid, que ante las dificultades actuales por las que atraviesa nuestra economía y que afecta a todas las entidades, las deportivas entre ellas, esta sociedad ha tomado la decisión de no continuar en su actividad deportiva,cerrando en consecuencia todas las secciones de la misma.

La falta de patrocinadores y apoyo logístico de las Instituciones Públicas, unido a la imposibilidad de que por parte de los altos directivos del Club Balonmano Neptuno se puedan seguir realizando las aportaciones económicas necesarias que a fondo perdido se venían realizando, han hecho imposible la supervivencia del Club.

El apoyo moral de las Instituciones de Madrid hasido insuficiente a la horade hacer la valoración final y llegar a una conclusión positiva que junto ala aportación del Atlético de Madrid hiciera viable el proyecto.

Quiero agradecer al Atlético de Madrid el apoyo prestado a nuestro Club durante los dos años que ha estado disputando las competiciones ubicado en la ciudad de Madrid, tanto a nivel económico como organizativo y moral. Especialmente tengo que dar las gracias a Miguel Ángel Gil (Director General del Club) y a Enrique Cerezo (Presidente de la entidad) por habernos abierto las puertas del Atlético de Madrid.

Igualmente damos las gracias a todos los aficionados y seguidores del Atlético de Madrid por su apoyo en los partidos disputados, felicitándolos a la vez porque hemos podido apreciar, de primera mano, lo que es una verdadera afición con mayúsculas. Especialmente debemos rendir tributo a nuestros jugadores, cuerpo técnico y personal adscrito al Club que con su profesionalidad han llevado al equipo a disputar finales de todas las competiciones nacionales e internacionales.

Por último, y debido a la imposibilidad de mantener económicamente el Club Balonmano Neptuno, pese al apoyo económico del Atlético de Madrid, y con la ayuda del mismo, se procederá a una liquidación ordenada de la entidad siguiendo los procedimientos legales correspondientes.

Madrid 9 de julio de 2013

Domingo Díaz de Mera Lozano

Presidente Club Balonmano Neptuno/ BM Atléticode Madrid