Yesterday in Basle/Switzerland FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) held the first official meeting with International Handball Federation (IHF), represented by President Dr. Hassan Moustafa, 1^st Vice-President Miguel Roca, Amal Khalifa and Patrick Strub (Office).

Major topics of professional club handball were discussed.

‘It was a good and open minded meeting. We offer our support to IHF and IHF offers support to the clubs in all aspects of Professional Handball!’ commented FCH-President Tomaz Jersic.  

The FCH representatives, President Jersic/RK Celje and the two Vice-Presidents Marin/BM Ciudad Real  + Schmäschke/HSV Handball, were invited to the upcoming IHF-Congress in Marrakesh. GB

EHF Press Release: see www.eurohandball.com

EPHLA and EHF sign Memorandum of Understanding

The European Handball Leagues are one of the groups of stakeholders which is part of the Professional Handball Board (PHB).

The general assembly of the European Professional Handball Leagues Association (EPHLA) took place in Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona/ESP) on 17 February 2011.

At that occasion the EPHLA presented new statutes, which are in conformity with the requirements of the European Handball Federation (EHF).

The EPHLA consists of the handball leagues of the following seven European countries: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden. According to the new statutes also joint members will be allowed.

At the general assembly the EPHLA a new Executive Council with President Reiner Witte (GER) and Vice President Arne Josefsen (DEN) was elected.

On behalf of EHF President Tor Lian, EHF Vice President Jean Brihault and EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the EPHLA.

This document lays the foundations for the participation of representatives of the leagues as the third concerned party at the next meeting of the PHB on 9 March 2011 in Vienna. The EPHLA will be represented by their Executive Council.

At the occasion of the general assembly of the EPHLA the EHF also started talks with the European Handball Players Union (EHPU), representing professional handball players, in order to provide a mutual basis. (Text: EHF)

www.lavozdegalicia.es + www.noticias.com 

Im Spanischen Basketball zeichnet sich ein neuer ‘Bosman-Case’ ab

17/02/2011 | 13:28 (Eigene Übersetzung)

Die Europäische Kommission leitet ein Verfahren gegen den Verband und die ACB ein, wegen Beschränkung der Anzahl der EU Spieler in ihren Klubs, meldet die ‚Stimme Galiziens‘.

Barcelona. (Redaktion) Die Europäische Kommission hat ein Verfahren gegen Spanien eröffnet um zu untersuchen, ob der spanische Basketball die Anzahl der EU Spieler in seinen Klubs limitiert, was ein Angriff auf die freie Wahl des Arbeitsplatzes in der Europäischen Union darstellt.

Gemäß dem, was heute die ‘Stimme Galiziens’ publiziert hat, hat sich die Kommission an die Spanische Regierung gewandt, handelt es sich um eine Situation, die sowohl die ACB als auch den Spanischen Verband betrifft.

Die ACB hat in 2008 eingeführt, das in jeder Mannschaft zumindest Spieler stehen müssen, die für die Spanische Nationalmannschaft antreten dürfen (5 in Mannschaften mit 12 Spielern), dass in jeder Mannschaft maximal 2 Nicht EU-Spieler stehen dürfen, und die Anzahl der ‚FIBA Europäer‘ (also EU Spieler von ausserhalb Spaniens) auf 5 limitiert ist.

Ausserdem hat der Verband für diverse Wettbewerbe ein Limit von Spielern eingeführt, die nicht für die Nationalmannschaft spielberechtigt sind. In der Golden LEB müssen die Mannschaften mindestens 6 für die Nationalmannschaft spielberechtigte Spieler haben, ein Maximum von 2 Nicht EU Ausländern und höchstens 3 EU Ausländer. in der Silver LEB  müssen die Mannschaften mindestens 8 für die Nationalmannschaft spielberechtigte Spieler haben, während die Damen Liga die Quote bei 4 belässt.

Ein Spanischer Klub also darf nicht alle seine Vertragsspielerplätze mit nicht spanischen EU Spielern besetzen, was die Europäische Kommission als einen Angriff auf die von der EU garantierte freie Wahl des Arbeitsplatzes interpretiert.

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/deportes/2011/02/17/0003_201102G17P53991.htm?utm_source=buscavoz&utm_medium=buscavoz

ECA, the European Association of football clubs, met on 8th Feb in Switzerland. Please find below parts of the press release.

 Following recent discussions and speculation relating to possible significant changes to the international calendar, such as a “Winter” World Cup, the European Club Association (ECA) would like to express its concern on the way matters of such importance are managed by football’s world governing body and underline its opposition to such a disruption.

ECA primarily questions the way FIFA reaches decisions heavily affecting club football without the involvement of the stakeholders concerned and believes that modern football needs democracy, transparency and certainty of rules.

ECA is supportive of national team football but also believes that player’s exhaustion through an excessive number of games must be addressed as a top priority. Currently, this is not the case. At present, following a long and exhausting World Cup tournament, national team players are called up again at the start of their preparation for the new season to play friendly matches with their national team purely for commercial reasons.

ECA would like to recall that in 2004 the European clubs accepted to renounce to a Champions League with two group stages thus reducing the match dates from 17 to 13 to allow for more rest for players.

In October 2010, we found out via a FIFA Circular Letter, that the FIFA Executive Committee had decided to add 8 dates (from 38 to 46, plus 20%) over the 2011-2014 period to the international match calendar without any precise reason and without any consultation with the key stakeholders concerned, namely the European clubs. As a result, ECA is not prepared to accept the way this decision was reached.

Looking forward, we propose some new basic principles that we would like to see form part of the future international calendar:

– Certainty of rules that cannot be changed in the course of the cycle.
– A maximum of one international tournament per player per year to address the concerns we have relating to player’s exhaustion.
– National team ‘periods’ as opposed to national team dates for official or friendly games
– A period of at least 7 weeks without any national team activity following major international tournaments like the World Cup or the Confederation Tournaments.
– The determination of ‘fixed slots’ for the major confederation and international national team tournaments.

Commenting on the discussions during the General Assembly, ECA Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stated: 

“The time for monopolies is over. Football needs democracy and transparency. ECA Members all agree that clubs must be meaningfully involved in all decisions affecting club football. Now is the time for change”.

For the full text please go to: http://www.ecaeurope.com/Default.aspx?id=1121337

Today EPHLA, the association of European Professional Handball Leagues, signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with the European Handball Federation. Congratulations!
This document serves as a tool to implement the Leagues in structure of European Handball. The leagues will send two representatives to the ‘Professional Handball Board’. 
The assembly elected EPHLA President Reiner Witte/GER and Arne Josefsen/DEN. The following leagues were present: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Spain, Sweden. GB

According to internal studies of GCH about 15 injuries have been registered during the WCH in Sweden 2011. For the first time in history the IHF insured the player salaries in favour of the clubs. According to our (not official) information the compensation will be paid starting from the 15th day after the injury and for a maximum period of 3 month. The monthly compensation is limited to a maximum of 15.000 Euros. The compensation will be paid to the Federation where the player has a working contract. Clubs from all continents will benefit from the insurance which has been demanded by GCH since 2006. GB