Happy Birthday, ECA!

On 27^th March 2018 the European Club Association (ECA) celebrated its 10^th anniversary in Rome/Italy. Like FCH in Handball, ECA represents the interests of European Top Football Clubs vis-à-vis UEFA, FIFA and European Union. During this period ECA succeeded to gain representation in various bodies of UEFA and FIFA. All matters concerning the European Cups are decided in a joint company where UEFA and ECA have equal voting rights. Compensation for release of players to the World Championships was increased from 0 in 2006 to 40 Mio USD in 2010, to 70 Mio USD in 2014 and to 209 Mio USD in 2018. Due to a very competitive market the value of the CL media rights increased dramatically. FIFA President Infantino and UEFA President Ceferin attended the celebrations and addressed the participants.

ECA and FCH are in a permanent exchange of information for the last 10 years. A permanent observer from ECA is attending the General Assemblies of FCH on a regular basis and vice-versa. Looking forward to the next 10 years, ECA!

The UEFA Congress in Helsinki took basic decisions regarding the role of the clubs in the football pyramide. As of now the European Club Association (ECA), the partner organization of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) in Football, will have two seats in the UEFA Executive Committee.

In Handball the clubs do not have a direct representation in the EHF Executive Committee, but they are represented via the chairmanship in the Professional Handball Board (PHB). FCH President Xavier O’Callaghan represents the interests of the top European Handball clubs.

UEFA President Ceferin identified a calendar problem in football which he would like to solve by involving FIFA. The ConFedCup and the Club World Championship are not indispensable.

Although the clubs were integrated into the UEFA system, Ceferin stated that the clubs are not the only ones, who care about football. UEFA must be the instance, to look after fair balance inside the football family. UEFA needs to earn money to deliver it to federations and clubs.  

The court decision prohibits FIBA and FIBA Europe from sanctioning clubs for participating in Euroleague Basketball competitions. In addition, any national team that has achieved qualification to competitions organised by FIBA and FIBA Europe may not be excluded as a result of any club’s decision to participate in Euroleague Basketball competitions. Any direct or indirect sanctions, threats of sanctions, as well as undue pressure on clubs to act against their own will would result in a violation of the judge’s resolution. Please find the according rulings in German and English language and further explanations here: http://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague-basketball/news/i/6xfdyb9eg4ex5ioa

More than 50 Clubs from 15 countries founded the ‘Association of European Hockey Clubs’ in Düsseldorf/Germany. The project was started by Hakan Loob, Manager of Swedisch top Club Färjestad BK and Szymon Szemberg. A temporary Board of Club representatives from 9 countries will work out the statutes of the new organisation which will start working on 1st July 2016. FCH Managing Director G. Butzeck was invited as guest speaker.

Today in France 25 Football leagues from all countries met in Paris in order to found the ‘World Association of Leagues’. Observers regard this step to be a threat for FIFA, as this new organisation might have the power to take over the responsibilities of the world governing body.

http://baloncesto.as.com/baloncesto/2014/03/26/euroliga/1395794817_276485.html

Ricardo Gonzales, Journalist of AS, one of the leading Spanish sports newspapers, took an interview with Jordi Bertomeu, CEO of Euroleague Basket. The issue: As of 2017 the World Basketball Federation FIBA plans to schedule qualification matches for National teams during the season – as in football or handball. For the moment in basketball there are no National team matches during the club season between September and June. A major conflict ahead!?

“Ni la NBA ni la Euroliga van a parar por las selecciones”

‘Neither the NBA nor the Euroleague are going to stop (their competitions) for the National teams’

 Jordi Bertomeu, director ejecutivo de la Euroliga, nos habla de los planes de la competición continental. También de sus problemas, de las disputas con la FIBA.

Jordi Bertomeu, the CEO of Euroleague, speaks to us about the plans of the continental competition. And also about his disputes with FIBA.

Ricardo Gonzales ¿ La FIBA cambia el calendario, la Euroliga hace sus planes, los clubes tienen intereses opuestos… Y, mientras, el baloncesto pierde peso. Seré ingenuo, ¿pero no es posible una sentada colectiva?

¿FIBA is changing the calendar, the Euroleague makes its own plans, the clubs have opposite interests … and, in the meantime, basketball is losing weight. Maybe it is naive, but why it is not possible to have a common approach?

Jordi Bertomeu —Sí, el mensaje es contradictorio. La FIBA (Federación Internacional de Baloncesto) ha decidido unilateralmente que las selecciones jueguen a partir de 2017 partidos de clasificación en febrero y noviembre, durante la temporada de clubes, como en el fútbol. La NBA ya ha dicho que no parará su competición, y la FIBA lo asume; pero si lo dice la Euroliga, está mal. Quizá esa sea la contradicción más grande. ¿Por qué debemos ser condenados por decir lo mismo que la NBA?

• Yes, the message is contradictory. FIBA has unilateraly decided that the National teams will play Qualification matches in February and November, during the club season, as in football. NBA has announced that they are not going to stop their competition, and FIBA accepts; but if Euroleague says the same, it is bad. Maybe this is the greatest contradiction. Why shall we be condemned for saying the same as FIBA?

¿ A lo mejor el baloncesto europeo necesita a las selecciones más que la NBA.

¿ Mainly because European Basketball needs the National teams more than the NBA.

—Esas selecciones serán falsas. Nosotros no somos la NBA, pero la FIBA no puede pretender ser la FIFA (Federación Internacional de Fútbol). Cuando esta tiene que hacer un calendario, Messi juega en Paraguay un miércoles de febrero. Pero cuando la FIBA quiere hacer de FIFA, Ricky Rubio no viene con España durante la temporada a jugar contra Hungría. Los NBA no van a estar ni en América ni en Europa ni en África ni en Asia.

• These National teams will be false. We are not the NBA, but FIBA shall not pretend to be FIFA. If FIFA makes a calendar, Messi plays in Paraguay on a Wednesday in February. But if FIBA wants to make the same like FIFA, Ricky Rubio is not going to play for Spain during the club season against Hungary. The NBA players will not play neither in America,nor in Europe, nor in Africa or Asia.

¿ Piensa entonces que la Euroliga y los clubes no necesitan a las selecciones?

¿ Though you think that the Euroleague and the clubs do not need the National teams?

—No. Las selecciones son importantes. Por eso promocionaremos la Copa del Mundo de España en la Final Four y por eso hemos propuesto dos alternativas. Una: que jueguen en junio y julio. Y la otra: en septiembre y octubre y empezar la Euroliga en noviembre. ¿Y sabe qué? Ni nos han escuchado. Su proyecto está devaluado porque las selecciones no contarán con los mejores. La Euroliga disputará sus partidos y no pasará nada. Mis clubes lo han decidido así. Y ya hay jueces que han dicho que no es obligatorio ir con las selecciones. Ha pasado en Grecia con Mavrokefalidis.

• No. The National teams are important. Therefore we are promoting the World Championship during the Final Four and therefore we proposed two alternatives. One: that we play in June/July. And the other: in September and October and to start Euroleague in November. And you know what? Nobody has been listening to us. The project is devaluated, because the National teams do not count on their best players. The Euroleague will play its matches and nothing is going to happen. My clubs decided to do so. And there are judges who have said that it is not obligatory to go to the National team. This happened in Greece with Mavrokefalidis.

¿ Y si el jugador quiere ir?

¿ And if the player wants to go (to the National team)?

—Que lo hable con su club. No tenemos nada en contra. Lo que digo es que la NBA no va a participar y la Euroliga tampoco. El 90% del proyecto FIBA nos encanta, pero no el calendario. Está bien que se juegue el Eurobasket cada cuatro años, es muy bueno que las selecciones disputen más partidos en casa, pero no invadiendo nuestro espacio. Y así lo pactamos en el año 2000.

• He will speak to his club. We are not opposing. What I say is that neither NBA nor Euroleague will stop. We like 90% of the FIBA project, but we do not like the calendar. It is good that the European Championships in Basketball are played once in four years, it is very good that the National teams have more home matches, but without touching our period in the calendar. We agreed upon this in the year 2000.

¿La Euroliga lleva unos meses debatiendo su futuro, ¿qué hay ya en claro?

¿ The Euroleague is leading debates about its future, anything is more clear now?

—A corto plazo no veo un cambio de competición, ni de formato ni de días (jueves y viernes) ni de fechas. Nuestras reformas han ido encaminadas a jugar más partidos entre los mejores equipos y si siguiéramos esa política… No quiero transformar nada que complique la vida a las Ligas nacionales.

• Shortly saying, I do not see any change in the competition, not in the format, not in the playing days (Thursdays and Fridays) not in the dates. Our reforms led to more matches between the best teams and we continue this policy …. I do not want any changes which complicate the life of the National leagues.

For the full interview please visit AS:

http://baloncesto.as.com/baloncesto/2014/03/26/euroliga/1395794817_276485.html

In June 2012 the International Icehockey Federation (IIHF) organized a workshop with Clubs, Leagues, National Federations and agencies in Barcelona. Target of the Workshop: Development of a project for an Icehockey-Championsleague. Various ideas were collected. After the workshop a working group under the leadership of Szymon Szemberg set up a concept, based on structure and principales of ‘Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basket’.

Shareholders of the ECC are the IIHF (12%), 6 West European Leagues (25%) and 26 clubs (63%). The clubs have to fulfill criteria regarding sportive success, infrastructure, sustainability and shareholder structure. The starting capital of the EEC is 3.3 Mio Euros. 40 Clubs will participate in the new Championsleague. The 26 co-owners and 14 more clubs, qualifying via sportive criteria, will participate in the new competition. Start of the League will be in August 2014, the final will be played in February 2015.

The 26 fixed spots are awarded to: Sweden 6, Finland 6, Chekia 4, Germany 4, Switzerland 4, Austria 2.

Infront is the media and marketing partner of EEC. The agency will produce tv-pictures of all the 149 CL-matches per season.

Clubs of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) will not participate in the new Championsleague. GB

According to Spanish MARCA, the FIFA insurance program will pay 20.548 Euros per day for injured Player Sami Khedira to Real Madrid. The payment will start as of day 28 after the accident which happened during the friendly between Italy and Germany last Friday. It is expected that the total amount, paid to the Spanish Top Club, will exceed 2 Mio Euros.

The Bayern Munich players Dante and Gustavo will go to Brazil immediately in order to prepare with their National team for the upcoming ConFedCup. They will miss the German Cup Final which will take place next Saturday in Berlin. Obviously the Brazilian Football Federation made them understand that they will not participate in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, if they do not come to Brazil on time. Bayern Munich and ECA Chairman KH Rummenigge called the behavior of the Brazilian Federation ‘unfair and unscrupulous’.

According to a statement of the President of Macedonian Handball Federation and SEHA Vice-President, Mihajlo Mihajlovski, Gazprom will sign a sponsorship contract with the SEHA-League on the fringes of the SEHA Final Weekend (13/14.4.13) in Skopje. According to Balkan-Handball.com all necessary questions are agreed. Hungarian and Polish teams show interest to participate in the league. Gazprom intends to spend 1 – 1.5 Mio Euros on the project.