During the last ordinary FCH Board meeting, taking place in Spain 7th/8th October 2024, the FCH Boards (men and women) decided to put the support for US Team Handball on hold.
FCH does not agree to the circumstances, surrounding the resignation of the USTH Managing Director Martin Branick and the decision to appoint Michael King as his successor.
FCH informed the International Handball Federation accordingly.
On 7./8th October the boards of Men’s Forum and Women’s Forum met fot the annual Board meeting in Spain. The cooperation with agency partner INFRONT was discussed.
The club representatives decided to prepare properly for the upcoming EHF Competition Conferences in spring 2025.
On the fringes of the meeting Gregor Planteu was selected as successor of FCH Managing Director Gerd Butzeck. Planteu is scheduled to start working in July 2025.
The European Handball Agents Association (EHAA) and FCH signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the beginning of the 30th General Assembly of FCH, celebrated in Cologne on the fringes of the EHF TRUCKSCOUT24 Champions League F4 on 9th June 2024.
The MoU underlines that the IHF Regulations on transfers have to be applied. In particular FCH member clubs shall operate with licensed agents only. The agents agreed to charge their clients which are usually the players (but may also be the clubs).
On the picture from left to the right: Women FCH President Zolt Ákos Jeney, Men FCH President Xavier O’Callaghan, EHAA President Marko Boskovic, EHAA Chairman of the Board Andrej Golic, FCH Managing Director Gerd Butzeck.
For the first time ever Forum Club Handball will celebrate a General Assembly with participants from 5 continents. The fist non-European club to enter FCH was ‘The worlds Handball club New York City’ (America), followed by Detroit, Zeekstar Tokyo (Asia), CalHeats San Francisco, University Sydney (Australia). For the first time ever an African Club will join the meeting: Famous SC Zamalek from Egypt will be confirmed as new member during the meeting on 9th June in Cologne.
The first ever Australian team becomes member of Forum Club Handball. The multiple participant of the IHF Super Globe SYDNEY UNI HANDBALL signed the membership documents and was accepted by the FCH Board.
Accordingly at the moment FCH has members from America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Further expansion to Africa is to be expected.
Forum Club Handball is an organization, representing the interests of European Top Handball clubs vis-a-vis European Handball Federation EHF, International Handball Federation IHF, European Union and others.
FCH is registered as an NPO (registered club, eingetragener Verein) in Cologne/Germany. Potentially the office can be everywhere in Europe.
The Managing Director of Forum Club Handball organizes the meetings and is the first contact person for member clubs, EHF and IHF. The ideal candidate should have a strong Handball background/network, good knowledge of English and Microsoft Office.
The new FCH Managing Director has to coordinate and balance the interests of the various stakeholders in Handball. He will be appointed in October 2024 and start working in June 2025.
Short-form applications with CV shall be addressed to office@forumclubhandball.com until 1st of May 2024.
On invitation of FCH the leadership of FCH and EHF will meet on 9th October 2023. EHF will be represented by President M. Wiederer, the 2 Vice-President P. Boskovic and H. La Cour, Secretary General M. Hausleitner, CSO M. Glaser and CFO B. Binder. EHFM will be represented by Managing Director D. Szlezak and his Deputy N. Kernmayer.
All Board members (men and women) of FCH will be present.
The major topic of the meeting will be the long-term cooperation with agency partner INFRONT and the future alignment of the European Cup competitions.
The FCH Board confirmed the membership of Detroit HC during its ordinary Boardmeeting in October 2022. Accordingly Detroit HC became the second ‘non-European’ member club of FCH! Heartily welcome, Joe Williams!
FCH intends to add further clubs from Africa, North- and South America, Asia and Australia to the organization in the future. The membership is free of charge.
IHF and FCH will sign the prolongation of the Partnership Agreement in Sweden on occasion of the final weekend of the IHF World Championship. An according agreement was reached between the Presidents of IHF, Dr. Hassan Moustafa, men’s FCH Xavier O’Callaghan and women’s FCH Zsolt Ákos Jeney. The signing will be exectuted during the 27th General Assembly of Forum Club Handball on 28th January 2023. The invitations to the 27th GA will be delivered to the FCH member clubs end of October 2022.
The 16th General Assembly of Forum Club Handball (women’s clubs) and the 26th General Assembly of FCH (men’s clubs) will take place in June on the fringes of the EHF Champions League Final4 events in Budapest/women’s clubs on 5.6.22 and in Cologne/men’s clubs on 19.6.22.
FCH invited the President of the International Handball Federation (IHF), Dr. Hassan Moustafa. FCH and IHF intend to sign the prolongation of their Partnership agreement during these meetings.
The host of both Final4 events, Michael Wiederer, President of the European Handball Federation, will address the participants and inform on the latest developments in European Handball.
In Cologne the Japanese Handball association will be represented by Yoshihide Watanabe, acting President of Asian Handball Federation and Honorable Chairman of Japan Handball Association, Roland Nemes., Councilor, International Relations, Japan Handball Association and Yoshiki Hirabayashi, Secretary General of the Japan Handball Association.
FCH and the JHA intend to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, promoting the cooperation between European and Japanese top clubs.