On 22nd of November 2012 IHF informed the European National Federations and some selected Top clubs that IHF will ‘distribute the compensation fees (for the World Championship in Spain) only those clubs which agree to work directly with the IHF without any mediator …’.
On 24. November 2012 the board of commented on the letter as follows:
Dear Presidents of the National Handball Federations,
dear Forum Club Handball member clubs,
as you know, Forum Club Handball (FCH) is the organization of the European Top Clubs, representing the Top 24 teams of the Championsleague, the Top 32 of the EHF Cup, the top 16 of the Challenge-Cup and all National Champions. FCH is recognized by EHF as the sole organization, representing the interests of European top clubs.
On 27th May 2012 the 8th General Assembly of FCH decided unanimously that ‘the FCH board shall take all necessary measures to resolve existing issues with IHF in writing, similar to the agreement reached with EHF. …. The agreement shall contain IHF commitments regarding insurance, compensation, calendar and governance.’
The following letter represents the opinion of the board members of FCH from the following clubs:
FC Barcelona/Spain
RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko/Slovenia
SG Flensburg/Germany
KS Vive Targi Kielce/Poland
THW Kiel/Germany
Lugi Lund/Sweden
Montpellier HB/France
Kadetten Schaffhausen/Switzerland
Our letter refers to the IHF letter to the European Member Federations in Europe, dated 22nd November 2012 (see attachment).
In this letter Dr. Moustafa states that it was ‘my idea to bring the motion to include the clubs’ as stakeholders into the IHF Bylaws’. And ‘regrettably some of the European National Federations opposed this motion so that it was eventually rejected by the Congress.’
At no point IHF discussed with the clubs the implementation of clubs into the IHF bylaws. We have to state clearly that the motion of Dr. Moustafa had the only intention to enable IHF to keep control over the clubs.
(16. The IHF shall issue Statutes, Regulations … regulate the relations between its stakeholders …. The IHF shall also regulate its rights and obligations towards its stakeholders.
17. It shall control every type of stakeholders by taking appropriate steps to prevent infringements of the Statutes, Regulations …. )
IHF wanted to impose obligations on the clubs without giving any rights. For good reason this approach was rejected by a number of reasonable representatives of the European Federations.
We also have to contradict to the summary of the IHF meeting with Top Nations and Top Clubs. From club point of view IHF informed about the compensation for the World Championship 2013. Any discussion was avoided from IHF. A big number of high ranked handball officials came to a very short meeting to enable IHF to argue that they are communicating with clubs and National Federations.
The letter states that the Super Globe is organized ‘for the sole financial interest of the clubs’. According to our information IHF receives the same amount of money as the clubs receive as price money. From Europe only two clubs are participating. Our major interest is not to discuss the Super Globe – but the release of players to World Championships, Qualification for World Championships and Qualification for Olympic Games.
The letter continues: ‘The Council decided to distribute the compensation fees only to those clubs which agree to work directly with the IHF without any mediator other than the NFs’. (FCH is not a mediator, but the sole recognized by EHF organization, having the mandate to act in the name of its member clubs).
This sentence does not correspond to the information, which has been provided to us by EHF President Jean Brihault. But we understand that IHF intends to sign direct agreements with the clubs – as FIFA did in the past. The difference: In football the conditions were agreed between clubs and FIFA/UEFA.
IHF obviously intends to blackmail the clubs: If you, club, sign the agreement, you will receive the money. If you do not sign the agreement, you will not receive money.
The question arising is logical. Does it mean that the clubs which will not receive money do not have to send their players to the World Championship?
FIFA has an agreement with clubs, so does UEFA. EHF signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) with the clubs.
In December 2011 we thought to be on a good way, receiving the information from IHF Managing Director Mrs Khalifa: ‘the President … welcome your proposal to the memorandum of understanding which should be followed by a meeting with you the near further’.
Three months later we received a letter, explaining exactly the opposite: ‘we (IHF) are unable to discuss a Memorandum of Understanding at present.’
During the last weeks various FCH letters and an invitation to a meeting remained without answer.
The world has changed during the last years. Professional handball has developed rapidly. The players are under contract with their clubs 12 months per year. We strongly believe that calendar, compensation for release of player to the National team and insurance should be agreed between clubs and IHF (as it is agreed between Clubs and EHF).
We offered a couple of times to start negotiation on an agreement. We offered to enlarge FCH on world level.
As IHF refuses communication with FCH, we will have to find ways to clarify the following questions:
Does IHF has the right to decide unilaterally – without negotiating with the clubs
- all calendar issues?
- the amount of compensation to be paid to the clubs for player release?
- the type of insurance cover?
The clubs underlined from the very beginning that there should be no payments from the National Federations to the clubs for release of players to the big Championships. Such payments shall be made by EHF/IHF.
It is now up to the National Federations to decide whether they prefer to defend the interests of their member clubs or the interests of IHF President Hassan Moustafa.
At the same time it is up to the clubs to decide whether to accept being blackmailed by IHF or whether to stand up and fight for their ligitimate rights through their own club organization which is FORUM CLUB HANDBALL – The heart of the Game!
With kind regards
FORUM CLUB HANDBALL eV
(FCH board member signatures in alphabetical order)
FC Barcelona/Spain
RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko/Slovenia
SG Flensburg/Germany
KS Vive Targi Kielce/Poland
THW Kiel/Germany
Lugi Lund/Sweden
Montpellier AHB/France
Kadetten Schaffhausen/Switzerland