During the first meeting of the newly elected EHF Professional Handball Board, FCH President Xavier O’Callaghan was elected as chairman. This EHF body serves as platform for the exchange and coordination of the various stakeholders in Professional Handball, such as clubs, players, leagues , National federations and European Handball Federation. Being chair of the PHB, O’Callaghan becomes automatically member of the EHF Executive Committee.
13.10.21 FCH President Xavier O’Callaghan elected as chairman of the EHF Professional Handball Board
The ordinary October Board meeting of Men’s and Women’s Forum took place in Spain on 4th and 5th Oct 2021. Only one of the 25 Board members was not able to attend the meeting. The newly elected Presidents Xavier O’Callaghan (men) and Tamas Szabo (women) welcomed EHF President M. Wiederer as guest. He was accompanied by EHFM Managing Director David Szlezak and Nina Kernmayer.
For the first time ever a Non-European Board member participated in the meeting: Shkumbin ‘Bini’ Mustafa, the President of New York City Handball Club. Also for the first time ever two English representatives were present: Theo Bougouin/London GD (men) and Diaraye Diallo/Olympia London (women).
Further new office holders in the Men’s Forum: Jennifer Kettemann/Rhein-Neckar-Lion (EHFM Finance inspection), Thierry Omeyer/PSG (Board member), Julien Deljarry /Montpellier (Board member), Jan Larsen/Aalborg (Board member), Vedran Supukovic/Zagreb (Board member) and Igor Levshin/Moscow (Deputy Men’s Club Board).
Further new office holders in the Women’s Forum: Alexander Savinow/Moscow (Board member), Alexandru Nitisor/Valcea (Board member), Emil Berggren/Savehof (Board member and WCB member), Jens Genge/Blomberg-Herrentrup (FCH Comptroller) and Radmila Petrovic/Buducnost (WHB member).
The Men’s and the Women’s Forum discussed the situation in the various European Cups. Whilst the media situation is improving, the marketing situation is not satisfying.
Men’s and Women’s Forum prolonged their cooperation until 30th June 2026. The contract of FCH Managing Director Gerd Butzeck was extended till the same date. Nina Kernmayer was appointed to represent the interests of both organizations in the daily business of EHF Marketing GmbH
The Board was entitled to negotiate a prolongation of the ‘Partnership Agreement’ with the International Handball Federation until 2026.
At the end of the Women’s Forum meeting President Tamas Szabo resigned from his position due to administrative mistakes during the elections.
The 24th General Assembly of Forum Club Handball with elections took place in Athens on 16th June 2021.
A new Board was elected as follows:
ELECTIONS Part I/Board members:
1. Election Board Member Nation ranked 1 (GER)
Elected:
Dierk Schmäschke/Flensburg
Teo Storm/Kiel
2. Election Board Member Nation ranked 2 (FRA)
Elected:
Julien Deljarry/Montpellier
Thierry Omeyer/Paris
3. Nations ranked 3 – 9 (ESP, HUN, MKD, POL, DEN, POR, CRO)
Elected:
CRO Vedran Supukovic/Zagreb
DEN Jan Larsen/Aalborg
ESP Xavier O’Callaghan/Barcelona
HUN Janos Szabó/Veszprem
4. Nations ranked 10 – 18 (ROU, BLR, SLO, SWE, UKR, SUI, NOR, SVK, RUS)
Elected:
SLO Gregor Planteu/Celje
SUI Peter Leutwyler/Kadetten
5. Nations ranked 19 – 30 (FIN, AUT, TUR, BEL, CZE, ISL, ISR, GRE, SRB, LUX, NED, KOS)
Elected:
Stathis Papachartofilis/Athens
6. Nations ranked 1-20 in the EHF European-Cup ranking 21/22 (BIH, LTU, BUL, GBR, CYP, LAT, MDA, ITA, MNE, …)
Elected:
ENG Théo Bougouin/London
7. Election of the Non-European Board member
Elected:
USA Bini Moustafa/New York
ELECTIONS Part II/Office holders:
FCH:
8. Election of the FCH President
Elected:
Xavier O’Callaghan/Barcelona
9. Election of the 2 FCH Vice-Presidents
Elected:
Dierk Schmäschke/Flensburg
Peter Leutwyler/Kadetten
10. Election of the FCH-Treasurer
Dierk Schmäschke/Flensburg
11. Election of the FCH-Comptroller
Elected:
Gerd Hofele/Göppingen
12. FCH Development Group
Chairman: Stathis Papachartofilis
Elected:
Pep Blanchart/Granollers
Andreas Andreou/Famagusta
Oleg Lebedev/Minsk
EHF:
13. Election of the 2 Professional Handball Board representatives
Elected:
Xavier O’Callaghan/Barcelona
Gregor Planteu/Celje
14. Election of the EHF Competitions Commission member
Elected:
Gael Pelletier/Nantes
EHFM:
15. Election of the 3 MCB-representatives
Elected:
Janos Szabo/Veszprem
Peter Leutwyler/Kadetten
Teo Storm
16. Election of the EHFM comptroller
Elected:
Jennifer Kettemann/Rhine-Neckar-Lions
17. Election of the FCH member in the EHF/M-FCH Evaluation Group
Elected:
Axel Gehrer – no club representative
18. Election of the FCH member in the EHF/M – FCH – Infront – Dazn Strategy Committee:
Elected:
Janos Szabo/Veszprem
The FCH speaker in the Men’s Club Board Janos Szabo will represent FCH in the EHFM Advisory Board.
The Board of FCH appointed in the first meeting the following Deputies to the Men’s Club Board:
Jesper Larsson/Kristianstad
Vedran Supukovic/Zagreb
Arkadii Ellarian/CSKA Moscow
Robert Molines/Montpellier was elected as the first Honorary member of Forum Club Handball!
Congratulations to elected FCH Board members and office holders!
Athens, 16.6.21
The 14th General Assembly of Women Forum Club Handball with elections took place on 30th May 2021 in Budapest.
A new Board was elected as follows:
ELECTIONS Part I/Board members:
- Election Board Member Nation ranked 1 (HUN)
Elected:
Zsolt Ákos Jeney/Ferencvaros
Tamas Szabo/Györ
2. Election Board Member Nation ranked 2 (RUS)
Elected:
Anton Revenko/Rostov
Savinov/Moscow
3. Election 4 Board Members Nation ranked 3-9 (DEN, ROU, FRA, NOR, MNE, GER, CRO)
Elected:
DEN Thomas Hylle/Esbjerg
FRA Nicolas Roue/Brest
NOR Per Geir Lovstad/Vipers
ROM Alexandru Nitisor/Valcea
4. Election 2 Board Members Nation ranked 10-18 (SWE, SLO, CZE, POL, TUR, MKD, ESP, BLR, SRB)
Elected:
SLO Deja Ivanovic/Mercator
SWE Emil Berggren/Savehof
5. Election 1 Board Member Nations ranked 19-30 (AUT, ITA, GRE, SUI, SVK, NED, AZE, UKR, CYP, FIN, ISL, ISR, KOS)
Elected:
AUT Gerhard Haidvogel/Hypo
6.Election 1 Board member ‘EHF Cup Ranking’ ranked 1-20 (POR, LTU, BEL, BIH, GBR, LUX, ALB, AND, ARM, BUL, EST, FAR, GEO, IRL, LAT, LIE, MDA, MLT, MON)
Elected:
GBR Diaraye Diallo/London
ELECTIONS Part II/Office holders:
FCH:
- Election of the FCH President
Elected: Tamas Szabo/Györ
- Election of the 2 FCH Vice-Presidents
No candidates
2. Election of the FCH-Treasurer
No candidates
3.Election of the FCH-Comptroller
Elected: Jens Genge/Blomberg
EHF
4. Election of the 2 WHB-representatives
Elected:
Deja Ivanovic/Krim
Radmila Petrovic/Buducnost
5. Election of the EHF Competitions Commission member
Elected:
Thomas Hylle/Team Esbjerg
EHFM
6. Election of the 5 WCB-representatives
Elected:
Zsolt Ákos Jeney/Chairperson
Nicolas Roue
Per Geir Lovstad
Gerd Haidvogel
Emil Berggren
7. Election of the EHFM comptroller
Elected: Per Geir Lovstad/Vipers
8. Election of the WFCH representative in the EHF/M-FCH Evaluation Group
Elected: Martin Albertsen – no club representative
Remark: The chairperson of the WCB will represent FCH in the EHFM Advisory Board in the future.
Congratulations to elected FCH Board members and office holders!
The FCH Board decided in an Extraordinary Board meeting to move the 24th General Assembly from Cologne to Athens. The meeting was supposed to take place on the fringes of the F4 event on 12th/13th June 21. As it is not possible to organize the assembly due to Pandemic restrictions in Cologne, the FCH Board adopted a proposal of AEK Athens to organize the assembly in Athens on 15th/16th June 2021. Additionally the FCH Board decided to support the travel costs of the participants. For detailed information please contact office@forumclubhandball.com or visit our page ‘Next General Assembly’.
FCH delivered the invitations for the upcoming 14th General Assembly (GA) of Women Forum Club Handball. The meeting will take place in Budapest on 30th May 21. Details: See Women FCH/Next General Assembly.
FCH delivered the invitations for the upcoming 24th General Assembly (GA) of Men’s Forum Club Handball. The meeting will take place in Cologne on 13th June 21. Details: See Men FCH/Next General Assembly.
The 13th General Assembly of Women’s FORUM CLUB HANDBALL decided on 26th January 2021 not to remunerate player agents for international transfers any longer, if the agent represents the interests of the player. This decision corresponds to the decision of the Men’s FORUM CLUB HANDBALL, taken during the 23rd GA on 29th Dec 2020 and avoids a conflict of interests for the agents.
In the future Player Agents shall be paid by the player, if the agent represents the interests of the player.
Men’s and Women’s FCH are aligned in the handling of this question.
The ‘European Handball Players Union’ and the ‘European Handball Players Agents Association’ were informed accordingly.
Existing contracts between FCH member clubs and agents remain valid. The new regulation is intended to start for international transfers on 1st July 2021.
For the first time ever a FCH General Assembly took place via ZOOM Video conference call. 54 clubs top clubs from 30 countries participated. For the first time a non-European club participated in the meeting and was admitted as new member: ‘The World’s Handball Club’ from New York City became member of the world’s elite Handball clubs grouping. President Shkumbin Mustafa gave a short presentation on the activities.
As one of the major topics the assembly decided on the future cooperation with agents. It was decided that the clubs do not pay for the services of an agent in international transfers any longer, if the agent represents the interest of a player. This regulation shall start as of 1st July 2021. Existing contracts shall be fulfilled as agreed.
Due to the Corona restrictions the 23rd General Assembly of Forum Club Handball will take place via ZOOM call on 29th December 2020 from 9:30h – 14:00h. The FCH member clubs are requested to contact the FCH office in order to receive the link for the meeting. More Infos, see: MEN Forum Club Handball, Next General Assembly
For a couple of years FCH follows the development of the relationship between clubs and player agents in various sports. Various initiatives in Handball, Football and other sports which tried to regulate the activities of agents remained without positive result,
Licensing systems were invented and ignored, as agents always have the possibility to cooperate with lawyers. As a consequence they do not need a license.
Today usually player agents represent the interests of players and get paid by the club. In the future the agents shall be paid by the player, if they represent the interests of the player.
This proposal was developed by the FCH Board and will be discussed during the next FCH General Assembly end of December. If the proposal is supported by the clubs, it will be forwarded to the various bodies of European Handball Federation. The new system shall start in July 2021, but clubs shall apply the new way of acting as of January 2021.