On 24/25.4.2010 the International Handball Federation (IHF) Congress on Bylaws will take place in Rome.

The leadership of the European Handball Federation (EHF) criticized in a letter, dated 10.3.2010 and addressed to all European member nations, the proposals of the International Handball Federation (IHF) Council to change the IHF bylaws and increase the power of IHF President Hassan Moustafa dramatically:

‘… the point that we find the most worrying is the structural reform proposed in this document. It would result in one person, the President, simultaneously holding several responsibilities: President, President of IHF Marketing, Head of Administration, Treasurer or Financial Controller. This is in total contradiction with the principle of “checks and balances”’

IHF replied on 23.3.2010 to all European National Federations. The letter is signed by all Council members beside Tor Lian, Jean Brihault, Joel Delplanque and President Hassan Moustafa.

The 13 Council members ‘fully decline’ all EHF statements. Even more:

‘We rather consider them as an attempt to manipulate and mislead the entire handball community in the personal interest of a few individuals from the EHF.’

The Council Members address the EHF President and Vice-President as ‘a few individuals’ and impute ‘personal interests’.

The Council Members state that ‘he (Lian) voted in favor (of the motions in question) and had no objection’. In the EHF letter Lian denies that the motions were treated in the Council meeting and refers to the minutes.

The Council Members continue: ‘… The phrasing of the letter is not respectable and not worthy of such a major federation. We believe this is a classic example of improper conduct and an illicit attempt to discredit others in the personal interest of a few individuals.’ and summarize:

 ‘… we must strength the power of the President as if we have a weak president, the whole handball organization will collapse. ….. As for the personal attacks against the IHF President; the Executive Committee and Council members are disappointed to see such wording formulated by someone who is a member of the important IHF bodies. We declare ourselves against such irresponsible accusations. We are civilized and respected personalities, everyone in his field of activities. Therefore we do not make such accusations against one another in this manner and without evidence.

…. We are wondering if these allegations are raised because the President is a non-European!’ GB

During the last Council Meeting of International Handball Federation (IHF) in China (Dec 2009) the compensation for President Hassan Moustafa was increased from 30.000 CHF to 500.000 CHF per year (according to DER SPIEGEL 4/10). According to the motions which shall be presented to the IHF Congress in Rome 23/24.4.2010 the influence of Hassan Moustafa shall be increased dramatically.

So the President in the future shall become the ‘Head of Administration’,  ‘control the financial transactions’ and ‘is entitled to take decision in-between Executive Committee meetings’. Further more: ‘The President of the Executive Committee is the Chairman of the IHF Marketing AG’.

The European Handball Federation (EHF) informed their member nations accordingly on 10.3.2010. According to EHF the motions are not a proposal of the IHF Council, as claimed by IHF. Further more, the motions are not a ‘direct result of the work performed by the “working group” appointed by the President of the IHF’.

If the motions are not proposed by the IHF Council and not a result of the appointed Working Group, one has to raise the question who proposed/proposes the mentioned motions.

EHF finds the structural reform ‘the most worrying’. lt would be ‘one person, the President, simultaneously holding several responsibilities: President, President of IHF Marketing, Head of Administration, Treasurer or Financial Controller.’

Summarizing the situation, the President and the Vice-President of EHF state that ‘such an approach can only be interpreted as a move towards more opacity when we need more transparency and more despotism when we want more democracy’. GB

For the first time in Handball history a Federation will pay compensation to the clubs for release of players to the National team. During these days EHF started to pay compensation for the 2010 European Championship. 270 Euros per player per match are paid via federations to the clubs.

The total compensation for the clubs amounts to 400.000 Euros which equals to 10% of the profit of the 2010 European Championship. GB

http://www.eurohandball.com/article/012925/EHF+statement+on+IHF+matters

On 9.2.10 GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG, the European Professional Handball League Association and the European Handball Players Union sent a common letter to EHF, asking for the position of EHF regarding the allegations against IHF President Hassan Moustafa in German DER SPIEGEL magazine.

On 25.2.10 EHF issued an official statement, recommending to IHF an external audit for IHF and IHF Marketing AG by an internationally known firm. IHF President Hassan Moustafa immediately accepted such a procedure.

EHF expects the results to be presented already during the next IHF Congress, taking place in Rome on 23/24.4.10. GB

During their 6^th meeting on 11.2.10 in Vienna GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG and EHF finalized a draft for a “Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)” describing the future cooperation of clubs and the EHF respectively the basis for a future ‘Professional Handball Board (PHB)’.

The draft needs to be approved by the EHF Executive Committee and confirmed by the next ordinary EHF Congress, taking place on 24/25.9.10 in Copenhagen and by the 3^rd General Assembly of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL, taking place on occasion of the 1^st Tournament of the EHF Champions League FINAL4 on 29.5.10 in Cologne. 

Basis for the future FORUM CLUB HANDBALL which is foreseen to represent the clubs’ part in the PHB is the participation of clubs in CL/EC competitions.

Under the condition that a club is qualified for the 2010/11 European Cup season, the following teams will be automatically invited to FORUM CLUB HANDBALL:

–        Top 24 teams of the 2009/10 EHF Champions League

–        Top 16 teams of the 2009/10 EHF-Cup

–        Top 16 teams of the 2009/10 Cupwinners-Cup

–        Top 8 teams of the 2009/10 Challenge-Cup

+ all national champions 2009/10 from those countries which are not already represented in the mentioned groups.
Text: EHF/GCH

Today the Presidents of the European Player, League and Club organisations expressed their concerns in a letter to EHF President Tor Lian, regarding the allegations against IHF President Hassan Moustafa, expressed in German DER SPIEGEL Magazine (No 4/2010).

The European President was requested to explain the position of his Federation and asked for further information.

At the same time the undersigned assured Tor Lian that the European Handball Federation can always count on Players, Leagues and Clubs for any action, serving to improve the image of handball. GB 

On 1.4.2009 GCH lodged a complaint against EHF/IHF, challenging the monopoly of the International federations. During the 13th ordinary General Assembly GCH discussed the possibility to split the complaint in two parts: one against IHF and one against EHF.

Since April 2009 GCH is in concrete negotiations with EHF, regarding the change of the structure of European Handball and the involvement of the various stakeholders (clubs, players, leagues) in the decision taking process concerning professional handball issues. The next meeting between GCH and EHF delegations will take place on 11.2.10 in Vienna. A draft of a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (to be presented to the next ordinary EHF Congress) will be discussed.

Splitting the complaint, GCH would be able to suspend the complaint against EHF temporarily.  

At the same time IHF continues to refuse any communication with GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG, a representation of 19 European Top Clubs.  GB

For the first time in history the EHF will pay compensation to Clubs for the release of players to the national teams. Due to a statement of Secretary General M. Wiederer the Executive Committee will be requested to take an according decision next Friday.

Although the amount (400.000 Euros) is not the result of negotiations between EHF and Clubs, GCH welcomes the decision and regards it to be a step in the right direction. The commitment was made by EHF during the negotiations of EHF and GCH.  GB

On 18th January 2010 one of the most successful handball clubs in the world, the 8 times Women Championsleague Winner Hypo NiederÖsterreich from Vienna/Austria (Hypo NÖ) lodged a complaint at Vienna Court, challenging the monopoly of IHF/EHF and § 20 – 23 of the IHF Transferregulations. The club indicates that IHF/EHF have no legal basis to oblige the club to release players to various National Teams. 

Hypo NÖ complains about the fact that the National and International Federations do not pay any compensation to the club. At the same time the club is obliged to insure the player salaries against injury on the Clubs account, whilst the players are working and earning money as employees for the various Federations.

The complaint is split into two parts, one refering to players to be released to the Austrian National Team and the second refering to players to be released to other countries (ie France, Brazil, Norway).

As a consequence Hypo NÖ demands to be exempted from the obligation to release players to the various national teams or at least to receive an appropriate compensation.

The club intends to inform the international press during the final weekend of the EHF Euro 2010 in Vienna about the complaint in detail. GB

Am 18.1.2010 hat der 8-malige Frauen Championsleague Sieger Hypo NiederÖsterreich (Hypo NÖ) Klage beim ‘Landesgericht für Zivilsachen Wien’ eingelegt und das Monopol von IHF/EHF angegriffen, sowie die Internationale Transferbestimmungen § 20 – 23 in Frage gestellt.

Die Klage ist zweigeteilt und bezieht sich einmal auf Österreichische und einmal auf Nicht-Österreichische Spielerinnen. Hypo NÖ beklagt, dass der Österreichische Verband, dritte nationale Verbände, die EHF und die IHF Erträge generieren, indem sie auf Clubspieler zurückgreifen. Der Club trägt das Verletzungsrisiko und ist zudem verpflichtet die Spieler auf eigenen Kosten gegen Verletzung zu versichern, ohne hierfür eine Entschädigung zu erhalten.      

Hypo NÖ beantragt bei Gericht festzustellen, dass der Klub nicht verpflichtet ist, Spielerinnen auf Anweisung der Vebände zur Nationalmannschaft abzustellen.

Ersatzweise wird das Gericht aufgefordert, die Verbände auf Zahlung einer Abstellungsentschädigung zu verurteilen.

Eine ähnliche Beschwerde hatte die GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG am 1.4.2010 bei der Europäischen Kommission in Brüssel eingereicht.

Am kommenden Wochenende will der Club im Rahmen des Finalwochenendes der EURO 2010 die Öffentlichkeit im Rahmen einer Pressekonferenz über die Einzelheiten der Klage informieren.  GB