15.4.2010: IHF Working Group ‘Calendar’ met in Basle on 1.4.2010

Date: 2010.04.15 | Category: GCH, IHF | Response: 0

The working group ‘Calendar’ met on 1.4.2010 in Basle. GROUP CLUB HANDBALL (GCH) member clubs FC Barcelona, Ciudad Real and THW Kiel were invited to the meeting which took place under the chairmanship of IHF President Hassan Moustafa who underlined ‘that the clubs are very important for handball in general’.

BM Ciudad Real was represented by GCH President Joan Marin, FC Barcelona by GCH Deputy President Xavier O’Callaghan. THW Kiel was not able to follow the invitation due to a match of the German TOYOTA-Handball-Bundesliga on the same day.

Further participants: M. Roca/IHF 1. Vice-President, Sandi Sola/IHF Treasurer, Joel Delplanque/IHF Secretary General, Mansourou Aremou/President Africa, Alexander Toncourt/Assistant Secretary General EHF, Uli Strombach/President Germany, R. Witte/President German League.

Among others the working group discussed the following issues:

1. Calendar

1.1 Time period of World Championships (WCH)

1.2 Time period of Continental Championships

2. Compensation for National Federations for participation in WCHs

3. Compensation for Clubs for release of players to World Championships

4. Insurance of player salaries in case of injury

Results:

Point 1: IHF will study the possibility to organize WCHs in September/October.

Continental Championships shall take place in the same time period.

Point 2: IHF intends to pay compensation to National Federations, participating in WCHs.

Point 3: IHF intends to pay compensation to Clubs, releasing players to WCHs.

Point 4: IHF is looking for insurance/fund solutions.

The discussions will be continued on occasion of the EHF Final Four in Cologne.

Comment: For the second time Club representatives were invited by IHF to discuss the most important issues: Calendar, compensation for release of players to the national teams and insurance of player salaries in favor of the clubs.

Obviously IHF intends to change its strategy and involve all stakeholders in the decision making process.

Up to now the clubs invited are selected by IHF. Clubs are invited individually – and not as representatives of a group of clubs.

Starting from May 2009 the FORUM CLUB HANDBALL (FCH) will be the representative of interests of all European Top Clubs. GB 

8.4.2010: GCH takes position on IHF Congress motions

Date: 2010.04.08 | Category: EHF, IHF | Response: 0

GROUP CLUB HANDBALL EEIG (GCH) took position in the conflict between European Handball Federation (EHF) and International Handball Federation (IHF) regarding the motions which will be forwarded to the IHF Extraordinary Congress on Bylaws, taking place in Rome on 23./24.4.2010.

The proposed changes include a dramatic increase of power for the IHF President. GCH is very concerned about these proposals.

GCH supports the position of EHF that key responsibilities shall be ‘held by different persons of different status so that they may check and control each other’. IHF should follow the democratic principle of “checks and balances” which is the basis for any democratic organization.

GCH President Joan Marin informed EHF President Tor Lian today accordingly.

8.4.2010: Conflict between EHF and IHF about the proposed increase of power for IHF President Hassan Moustafa

Date: 2010.04.08 | Category: EHF, IHF | Response: 0

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

22.3.10: Motions for IHF Congress – Influence of President Hassan Moustafa shall be increased

Date: 2010.03.22 | Category: EHF, IHF | Response: 0

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

28.2.10: EHF pays compensation to the clubs

Date: 2010.02.28 | Category: EHF | Response: 0

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

28.2.10: EHF recommends audit to IHF

Date: 2010.02.28 | Category: EHF, IHF | Response: 0

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

24.2.10: IHF ready to pay 3.65 Mio CHF to Clubs and Federations

Date: 2010.02.24 | Category: EU Commission, IHF | Response: 0

According to German HANDELSBLATT the International Handball Federation (IHF) is ready to compensate Clubs and Federations with a total of 3.65 Mio CHF (incl. Insurance) per World Championship, once an agreement with the ‘stakeholders’ is achieved.

The German daily newspaper is quoting the minutes of a meeting with continental, federation and club representatives which took place on 28.1.10 in Vienna/Austria. According to HANDELSBLATT IHF President Hassan Moustafa confirmed the figures. GB

20.2.10: Compensation for IHF Council increased from 204.000 CHF to 1.325.000 CHF

Date: 2010.02.20 | Category: IHF | Response: 0

According to German DER SPIEGEL magazine the IHF Council increased the annual compensation for Council members from 204.000 to 1.325.000 CHF during a meeting in Nanjing/China in December 2009. The compensation for IHF President Hassan Moustafa was raised from 30.000 to 500.000 CHF per year. For further details:

http://www.spiegel.de/sport/sonst/0,1518,679098,00.html

English translation of the article:

IHF president Moustafa gets an increase of 1567 percent

The total annual ‘expense allowances’ for the top officials in the International Handball Federation (IHF) will, according to information obtained by Der Spiegel, increase from 204.000 CHF per year to 1.325.000 CHF per year. The increase for President Hassan Moustafa is particularly drastic.

The top officials of the IHF allow themselves a magnificent compensation for their services. This becomes clear in a document from the IHF Council that had until now been kept secret; the Council is the forum for the 17 IHF top officials. According to this document, when the Council met last December in Nanjing, China, they arranged for themselves an increase in the expense allowances from an aggregate of 204.000 CHF to 1.325.000 CHF.

The most grandiose increase concerns the president: 1567 percent. The Egyptian Hassan Moustafa, who last summer was re-elected in his position until 2013, will now get 500.000 per year instead of 30.000 CHF.

The Council members also allow themselves an increase in their daily allowances – instead of 250 CHF per day, when they are on duty for the IHF, they will now receive 400 CHF. For Moustafa this adds up to a six-digit amount, as he last year claimed to have been on duty for the IHF during 280 days.

15.2.10: GCH and EHF finalize draft for ‘Memorandum of Understanding’

Date: 2010.02.15 | Category: EHF, Forum Club Handball, GCH | Response: 0

During their 6th 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 3rd General Assembly of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL, taking place on occasion of the 1st 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

9.2.10: Clubs, Leagues and Players request information about DER SPIEGEL allegations against IHF President Hassan Moustafa

Date: 2010.02.09 | Category: EHF, GCH, IHF | Response: 0

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 

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