EHF and Forum Club Handball to extend MoU

Based on an initiative of Europe’s top men’s clubs and a meeting on the fringes of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne, the EHF and Forum Club Handball (FCH) have agreed to extend their Memorandum of Understanding.

The first MoU between the two bodies was signed in 2010 and then renewed in 2014.

The successful cooperation has included the involvement of club representatives within the structure of the EHF’s marketing arm, EHF Marketing GmbH, as well as representation on the Professional Handball Board.

Joan Marin, President of Forum Club Handball, also currently sits in the EHF Executive Committee in his position as chair of the Professional Handball Board.

The next period of the agreement will see the two bodies continue to work on the positive aspects of their cooperation, which has included the successful introduction of the new playing system in the VELUX EHF Champions League.

A new aspect of the agreement going forward will be the further development of top referees to ensure that the performance of Europe’s leading referees remains at the same level as that of the sport’s elite players.

The focus will be on the continued education of top referees as well as the use of technology. This includes the goal-line system used for several years at the VELUX EHF FINAL4 and Men’s EHF Cup Finals as well as instant replay technology, implemented in Cologne for the first time in 2016.

Looking ahead to the next four years of the cooperation, the EHF President, Jean Brihault, said: “As the representative of Europe’s leading men’s handball clubs, Forum Club Handball has become a key stakeholder for the EHF.

"Based on our examination of our work to date, both we and the FCH are more than happy to continue to work together to further develop the product that is top-class men’s handball.”

The meeting between the EHF and FCH took place ahead of the FCH’s General Assembly, which will be held in Cologne ahead of the final matches, and where elections for the leadership of the organisation are set to take place.