Davor Stojanoski, long standing Board member of Forum Club Handball, resigned from his position on 30.6.2020. FCH thanks Davor and his club RK Vardar for their contributions to European Handball. With Manager Davor Stojanski RK Vardar won the Champions League twice. As of 1st July 2020 the club will be named RK Vardar 1961 under new leadership.
During the last days the various FCH-Boards consulted on consequences of the Corona-Virus. The Boards unanimously recommended all member clubs to share the expected losses 50%:50% with the players. This solution shall be applied all across Europe for the period until 30th June 2020. “We think this to be a fair solution. The clubs need the understanding of the players to overcome this difficult situation for Handball!” is the common opinion of the FCH-Presidents Gregor Planteu/Celje and Zsolt Ákos Jeney/Budapest.
During the latest General Assemblies of FCH (men and women) the statutes were changed and adapted to the new EHF club ranking system which will be in place as of season 20/21. The Boards of FCH will be extended from currently 10 to future 12 members during the upcoming elections in May/June 2021. The Board members of FCH will no longer be split in Board members and Deputy Board members.
Nicola Luca left CSM Bucuresti at the end 2019 and accordingly resigned from his position as Board member Women FCH and Chairman Women Club Board during the 12th General Assembly in Vienna on 19th January 2020. His position in the Board is a temporary vacancy which will be filled during the 13th GA in Budapest in May 2020. At the same time Board member Bozica Palcic/Podravka was replaced Gerhard Haidvogel/Hypo Niederösterreich. Haidvogel will fill the vacancy in the WCB which will be chaired by Tamas Szabo/Györ in the future.
A new record attendance is expected for the 22nd General Assembly of Forum Club Handball, taking place in ClarionSign Hotel in Stockholm on 24th January 2020. 54 clubs from 29 countries registered more than 80 participants. Jointly the club representatives will attend the Semifinals of the EHF EURO 2020.
In the meeting information on the upcoming changes will be provided. As of season 20/21 there will be significant increase of revenues for the participants in the various European Cup competitions.
IHF President Dr. Hassan Moustafa is expected to address the participants with a welcome speech.
During the ordinary Board meetings in October 2019 the boards (men and women) of Forum Club Handball decided to adapt the structure of the organization to the changes which will be implemented with the start of the season 20/21. According motions will be presented to the General Assemblies, taking place in Vienna (Women) and Stockholm (Men) in January 2020.
The term of office for FCH Board members has already been prolonged from 2 to 4 years. Now the FCH Board proposes to adapt the number of Board members to the new EHF Club ranking system. The number of Board members shall be increased from 10 to 12. In order to be more flexible concerning appointment of FCH officers for various tasks, the difference between Board members and Deputy Board members shall be abolished. The according decisions have to be taken by the General Assemblies with a 75% majority.
Financials will be the important topic of the upcoming FCH General Assemblies in Budapest (Women, 12.5.19) and Cologne (Men, 2.6.2019).
According to the new contract between EHF Marketing GmbH and Infront/Dazn, a new distribution system for the European Cup revenues will be set up. The General Assemblies will decide upon the split between men’s and women’s competition and about the split between Champions League, new European Handball League (=former EHF-Cup) and new EHF-Cup (=former Challenge Cup) for the seasons 20/21, 21/22 and 22/23.
Due to the change of the term of office for EHF Office holders, the term of the current office holders of FCH is expected to be prolonged until 2021.
A big number of European Top clubs is expected to participate in the meetings in Budapest and Cologne.
The 20th General Assembly of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL took place on the fringes of the IHF World Championship 2019 in Hamburg on 26th January 2019.
As a guest IHF President Dr. Hassan Moustafa welcomed the representatives from 45 European top clubs from 22 countries. He congratulated Germany for the good organization of the tournament and Denmark/Norway which played the best handball and deserved to be in the final on Sunday. The President put emphasis on the global situation in handball and underlined the important role of China and USA as developing handball markets. He asked the FCH member clubs to support the according IHF activities.
The FCH members clubs welcomed the organization of the World Championship, but criticized the playing schedule. Many times various teams had to play two matches in two days or 3 matches in four days. The IHF President took note of the concerns of the clubs and promised to take care of this question.
EHF Vice-President Predrag Boskovic also welcomed the club representatives. He underlined the good cooperation between clubs and EHF and the developing implementation of club representatives into the various bodies of EHF.
Having listened to the various reports, the participants elected David Barrufet as new Board member FCH from Spain, replacing Xavier O’Callaghan (both FC Barcelona). Gregor Planteu/Celje was elected President, Peter Leutwyler as Vice-President FCH. As a consequence, the list of the various new FCH office holders reads as follows:
FCH President:
Old: Xavier O’Callaghan
New: Gregor Planteu/Celje
FCH Vice-Presidents:
Old: Dierk Schmäschke + Gregor Planteu
New: Dierk Schmäschke/Flensburg + Peter Leutwyler/Kadetten
FCH Board members:
Old: O‘Callaghan, Schmäschke, Planteu, Szabo, Leutwyler
New: David Baruffet/FC Barcelona, Schmäschke, Planteu, Szabo, Leutwyler
FCH Deputy Board members (no changes):
Teo Storm, Pep Blanchart, Robert Molines, Davor Stojanoski, Stathis Papachartofilis
EHF PHB representatives:
Old: O’Callaghan/Butzeck
New: Planteu/Butzeck
EHF Competitions Commission (no changes).
Emeric Paillasson/Saint Raphael Var
EHFM Steering Committee:
New: Gregor Planteu
EHFM Advisory Board members:
Old: O’Callaghan/Butzeck
New: Leutwyler/Butzeck
EHFM Men’s Club Board members
Old: O’Callaghan, Storm, Martini
New: Szabo/Veszprem, Storm/Kiel, Martini/Paris
EHFM Comptroller:
Old: Peter Leutwyler
New: Gerd Hofele/Göppingen
EHFM Working Group development:
Pep Blanchart/Granollers
Karl Lofmark/Lugi Lund
Magnus Clarke/Dublin
Raul Srugo/Maccabi Rishon Le Zion
The newly elected President underlined the importance of the upcoming months, as the split of the revenues as of season 20/21 has to be agreed between men’s and women’s clubs on the one side, and between new Champions League, European Handball League and new EHF-Cup on the other side.
At the end of the General Assembly the participants elected Xavier O’Callaghan as ‘Honorary President FCH’.
As reported earlier, FCH President Xavier O’Callaghan will resign from his office in January 2019. The FCH Board delivered his tasks for the transitional period as follows:
EHF Professional Handball Board: Gregor Planteu/Celje
EHFM Men’s Champions League Board: Janos Szabo/Veszprem
EHFM Advisory Board: Peter Leutwyler/Kadetten
The necessary elections will take place during the next General Assembly, taking place in Hamburg on the fringes of the semifinals of the World Championship 2019 on 25./26.1.2019.
FCH President Xavier O’Callaghan has been promoted to become ‘FC Barcelona Representative USA’. According earlier announcements have been confirmed by the club today. The Board of FCH congratulates Xavi to this promotion and wishes him all the best for the future. The 7-times-Champions League Winner and Bronze medalist from the 2000 Olympics will remain in office till the next ordinary General Assembly of FCH, to be held in Hamburg on 26th January 2019. GB