Today the 6th FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH), the General Assembly of European Top Handball Clubs, decided to become a legal body. The Non-Profit-Organisation (NPO) will have the status of a German ‘Verein’ (Club). The board was confirmed as elected during the meeting on 29.5.2010. All former decision of FCH were appoved. More details will be published during the next days. GB

Today TOYOTA Handball-Bundesliga and the German Handball Federation (DHB) announced a contract about a long term cooperation until 2016. The contract contains new and interesting elements: for the time the release of players to the national team is limited to 60 days per year (Olympic years 75 days). The German Federation will support the wish of TOYOTA HBL to reduce the number of big tournaments from 5 to 4 within one Olympic cycle (4 years) and to place all European Cup matches on weekdays.

According to the press release TOYOTA HBL will pay an anual fee to the German Federation for various services. The German federation will pay a fee for the release of players to the German National team. The contract expires on 30th June 2016. GB

On 29.6.2011 representatives of ECA, Euroleague Basket and FCH met in order to discuss points of common interest. The participants exchanged information about the challenges in European Football, Basketball and Handball. GB

One year ago, on the weekend of the 2010 VELUX EHF Championsleague Final4, EHF and FCH signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’, regulating the relation between EHF and Clubs.

In the meantime various club representatives took part in meetings of the Club Marketing Board (CMB), Professional Handball Board (PHB), EHF and IHF Congress. Now European Top Clubs were informed about the results. The CMB is taking care of the economical questions of the European Cups, especially of the CL. The PHB is taking care of political questions, such as playing system or insurance of player salaries.

A common working group of EHF, IHF, club, league and federation representatives is working to find an insurance solution for all National team matches.

 A major topic of the meetings was the European Cup playing systems. EHF Cup and Cup Winners Cup will be merged as of season 12/13.

Important clubs like Chekhov, Ciudad Real and Zagreb want to change the VELUX EHF Championsleague (CL) playing system in order to give more guaranteed matches to the participants. The would appreciate a league system.

Other important clubs like Flensburg, Montpellier or Kolding prefer to stay with the current system. A clear majority for a change of the system was not reached. A standing working group will study the issue and work out concrete proposals for the next meeting.

The lac of spectators in some matches of the CL was not regarded to be the consequence of the playing system. The management of European Top Clubs shall be improved by an educational system for club managers. A pilot project will be organized in autumn 2011.

European Top will gather in Cologne/GER this weekend in order to discuss matters of interest for European Professional Handball.

The FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) – HEART OF THE GAME board will report about the results of earlier Professional Handball Board (PHB) and Club Marketing Board (CMB) meetings.

For the first time in Handball history a club representative was invited to the IHF Congress in Marrakesh/Marocco. GCH President Marin will report on the Congress.

The major point of the agenda will be the discussion about a future EUROLEAGUE HANDBALL. During the last FCH meeting there was a common understanding on this issue. All club representatives expect the EUROLEAGUE HANDBALL to be reality in 10 years from now. The various stages of development are unclear and will be matter of discussion.

Yesterday European Top Clubs (last 24 CL, last 16 EHF Cup, last 16 Cup Winners Cup and last 8 Challenge Cup + all National Champions) were invited to participate in the 5th FORUM CLUB HANDBALL, taking place on occasion of the EHF VELUX Championsleague Final 4 event on  28th May in Cologne. For more details please click our page ‘Forum Club Handball’ on the left.  GB

On 29.5.2010 European Handball Federation (EHF) and FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) – a milestone in the history of the relation between clubs and federations. Now work started to fill the document with content. As one major point a small working group began to develop a program for the education of club managers in Europe. Further details will be submitted. GB

On 11.3.2011 the President of the International Handball Federation (IHF), Dr. Hassan Moustafa invited Joan Marin (BM Renovalia Ciudad Real) to the upcoming IHF Congress in Marrakesh. Marin is Vice-President of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) and President of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH).
For the first time during the presidency of Moustafa a leading club representative is officially invited to the assembly of the highest body in world handball. The invitation is one of the outcomes of the first meeting between FCH and IHF which took place in February 2011. GB

The 2nd meeting of the Professional Handball Board (PHB) took place on 9th March 2011 in Vienna. The Vice-President of Forum Club Handball (FCH) (and President of Group Club Handball (GCH)) Joan Marin from BM Renovalia Ciudad Real was elected as chairman of the PHB. The chairman of the PHB has automatically a seat in the Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation (EHF).

From the very beginning of the Club movement it was requested to have a representative in the government of European Handball. After 5 years of work this target has been achieved. Congratulations to all those who contributed to this development! GB

Wednesday 9 March 2011 – Professional Handball Board (Text:EHF)

The Professional Handball Board (PHB) is a common strategic platform for the key stakeholders within European men’s handball. It is made up of representatives of National Federations, Clubs, European Professional Leagues and Players, with two representatives from each stakeholder group making up the Board. The Chairman of the Professional Handball Board also has a seat on the EHF Executive Committee. 
Present at the second meeting of the PHB on Wednesday 9 March were Morten Stig Christensen / DEN and Philippe Bana / FRA representing the National Federations and the Nations Board, Gerd Butzeck / GER and Joan Marin / ESP representing the Clubs through Forum Club Handball and Reiner Witte / GER and Arne Josefsen / DEN representing the Professional Leagues through the European Professional Handball League Association, which held its inaugural meeting at the end of February 2011.

The final group to join the PHB were the Players, represented in an observer status by Marc-Olivier Albertini, a representative of the European Handball Players Union (EHPU). This followed a coordination meeting the day previously between the EHF and EHPU, in which the approval of the Union’s structure and statutes as well as the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding were discussed.

Representing the EHF Executive Committee were EHF Vice President, Jean Brihault, and Jan Tuik. EHF President, Tor Lian, and EHF Secretary General, Michael Wiederer, were also present in the meeting.

Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

The PHB elected a Chairman, Joan Marin / ESP representing the clubs through the Forum Club Handball. Joan Marin will now join the EHF Executive Committee for the coming period. Reiner Witte / GER representing the professional leagues through the European Professional Handball League Association was elected Vice-Chairman of the PHB.

EHF European Championships

The PHB also discussed proposals for changes to the schedule of future EHF European Championships. From the next Men’s EHF EURO in Serbia in 2012 it is proposed that the first two groups would throw off on Sunday, with the next two on Monday. Semi-finals would be played on Friday, Saturday would become a rest day and finals would be played on Sunday. This new match schedule will contribute to a better periodisation of match and rest days for the teams and players.

After clarification with the 2012 organisers, the Serbian Handball Federation, the approval of the optimised schedule will be put to the next meeting of the Executive Committee in Vienna on 8 / 9 April 2011.

In relation to the future of the EHF European Championships and the EURO product, there was an exchange of information about the development of a TV, media and marketing strategy in order to further optimise the product.

Insurance

The PHB discussed the idea of an overall insurance system for national team players and in particular compensation for the salaries of injured players from a fund. The various options will be evaluated in a workshop in order to create a proposal for the next PHB.

European club competitions

The issue of possible future systems for European Cup and EHF Champions League competitions was raised for the first time. It was agreed that this subject together with the question of playing dates and the overall calendar will be examined in detail through a major study by external specialists of the entire competition system and effects of any changes on the handball market.

Education of handball managers

There was unanimous agreement from those present to introduce an education/further education programme for managers in handball. A concept will be developed by a working group in March in order to present a concept to the EHF Executive Committee.

Additional discussions

The PHB further discussed the issues of communication between stakeholders, the information and decision making process within the EHF structure and also external communications to the handball and media world.

Last but not least the meeting was informed of the outcome of the previous Competitions Commission meeting and the proposals that would be presented to the EHF Executive Committee. There was common agreement that the meeting was conducted in a positive atmosphere.

TEXT: EHF