The 10th anniversary of FCH was celebrated on the fringes of the ordinary board meetings of the Men’s and the Women’s Forum Club Handball in Spain on 6^th November 2016.

FCH President Xavier O’Callaghan welcomed the guests, among them from the International Handball Federation President Dr. Hassan Moustafa, from the European Handball Federation President Jean Brihault and Secretary General Michael Wiederer, from the European Professional Handball Leagues Association President Frank Bohmann, from Euroleague Basketball Elisendra Salrach, from Women’s FCH President Zsolt Akos Jeney and the former FCH Presidents Tomaz Jersic and Joan Marin.

During a reception the guests were interviewed and described their relation to Forum Club Handball. In the following dinner Xavier O’Callaghan highlighted the situation in 2006 which lead to the foundation of the FCH predecessor Group Club Handball. Jean Brihault emphasized the unity of the handball family: There is no ‘you’ and ‘we’, there is only an ‘us’. Hassan Moustafa stressed in his speech the importance of the clubs for the handball system and showed his willingness to communicate with the clubs on a regular basis.  

Juan Arias, foundation member of Group Club Handball EEIG, died unexpectedly after taking his breakfast in his appartementm last week. The former Handball player  served for his Club as President from 1994 – 2009. During his leadership the Club became Spanish Champion and won the European Cup for Cup Winners. Forum Club Handball expresses its compassion to the family and to the Club.

On 3.10.2011 the General Assembly of GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) decided to dissolve the European Economic Interest Group. Dr. Gerd Butzeck was appointed as Liquidator. The General Assembly expressed the wish that FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) shall take over the tasks of GCH in the future. More details will follow shortly. GB

GCH declines the statements of German National Team Coach Heiner Brand, describing GCH Managing Director Gerd Butzeck as ‘dangerous with personal interests’.

Since 2006 Butzeck is successfully executing the resolutions of GCH. It is his task to represent the interests of European Top Handball Clubs in face of National Leagues, National, European and International Handball Federations. By nature the interests of clubs are sometimes in contrary to the mentioned organizations. Thanks to the work of GCH and of Gerd Butzeck a lot of aspects of European Club Handball have improved during the last 5 years.

We regret that Brand refused talks with the Managing Director of GCH in the past and hope that the relation will improve in the near future, as Brand is going to take over a leading management position in the German Federation in July 2011.

Cologne, 27.5.2011 – Joan Marin/President GCH

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.

Der deutsche Bundestrainer Heiner Brand hat ins seiner Rücktritts-Pressekonferenz am 18.5.2011 Anschuldigungen gegen GCH Geschäftsführer G. Butzeck erhoben, die wir zurückweisen.

Die GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) wurde 2006 aufgrund von Problemen gegründet, die sich aus dem internationalen Spielkalender und der Vermarktung des Europapokals ergeben haben.

In den letzten 5 Jahren hat die GCH für die Europäischen Klubs Folgendes erreicht:

Seit 2008 gibt es eine Klubvertretung in den Gremien der Europäischen Handball Föderation (EHF)

Seit 2008 gibt es eine Klubvertretung in der EHF Marketing GmbH, die den kommerziellen Teil der Europapokale abwickelt

Seit 2008 gibt es eine Fondlösung, die Klubs für die Verletzung von Spieler bei Europameisterschaften entschädigt

Seit 2010 erhalten Klubs eine Entschädigung für die Abstellung von Nationalspielern zur Europameisterschaft

Seit 2010 gibt es ein ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) zwischen Klubs und EHF, dass wesentliche Dinge der Zusammenarbeit regelt.

Seit 2010 gibt es das Professional Handball Board (PHB), ein Gremium, in dem Spieler-, Club-, Liga-, Verbands- und EHF-Vertreter erstmals GEMEINSAM die Thematiken des Profihandballs besprechen

Seit 2011 haben die Klubs einen Vertreter in der Exekutive der EHF

Seit 2011 gibt es eine Kommunikation zwischen Klubs und Internationalen Handball Föderation (IHF)

Seit 2011 sind die Spielergehälter bei Weltmeisterschaften zugunsten der Klubs versichert

Seit 2011 erhalten die Klubs eine Abstellungsgebühr für Nationalspieler bei Weltmeisterschaften

Bei der Europameisterschaft 2012 werden die Nationalmannschaften auf Intervention der Klubs 2 Ruhetage mehr haben als bei der Europameisterschaft 2010

Die Deutschen Klubs unterstützen die Nationalmannschaften im Allgemeinen und die Deutsche Nationalmannschaft im Besonderen in dem Wissen, dass sie den Stellenwert der Sportart Handball massgeblich beeinflussen.

Die GCH wird sich allerdings auch weiterhin für Änderungen zugunsten des Handballs und zugunsten der Kernzelle des Handballs – also zugunsten des Europäischen Klubhandballs einsetzen. 

Sowohl unser Geschäftsführer Gerd Butzeck als auch alle deutschen Vertreter der in der GCH vertretenen Clubs haben hohen Respekt um die Verdienste von Heiner Brand um den Deutschen Handball und freuen sich auf konstruktiven Austausch in der Zukunft.

gez. Volker Zerbe/TBV Lemgo (Vize-Präsident GCH)                     

gez. Dierk Schmäschke/HSV Handball (Stellvertr. Vize-Präsident GCH)

Congratulations to all GROUP CLUB HANDBALL (GCH) members, qualifying for the quaterfinals of the VELUX EHF Championsleague. All eight teams are member of GCH. In the previous round 13 out of 16 participants were GCH member clubs. 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