Handball faces years of challenges and fixed positioning within the world sports activities market. In a world that’s continuously altering, our sport can’t stay inside set boundaries with out continuously reassessing what may very well be higher.. A number of the questions that curiosity the handball public had been directed to the president of the European Handball Federation, Michael Wiederer, who shared his ideas on the way forward for our sport in an unique interview with Handball-Planet.com.
EHF Competitors convention can be held in Vienna on April 9 and 10. What are the explanations for its group, and what do you anticipate from it?
- Since 1994, we have now been organizing actions at each the nationwide workforce and membership degree. Our first Champions League featured two teams with 4 groups, alongside a qualification spherical. Over time, we have now developed considerably in parallel with the institution of the EURO 1994 in Portugal and Germany. Step-by-step, we grew, nevertheless the 12 months 2008 marked a change. It was a interval marked a time when some groups had been discussing the potential for a breakaway league, and several other leagues had been talking about limiting the significance of nationwide groups with a view to present extra space for his or her competitors. In response to those challenges, we organized a contest convention involving numerous stakeholders from prime golf equipment, leagues, federations, and our technicians. In spite of everything, our personal individuals should perceive the views from all corners. My opinion is that the EHF should keep within the center. Voices from each nook have to be heard, with every stakeholder offering perception into what must be achieved. Whereas they’ve legitimate factors, our place is to unify these views. I are inclined to see it as a cooking analogy: a talented prepare dinner gathers a wide range of spices and components to create a terrific dish. If achieved accurately, everybody can get pleasure from it. Our job is to be good cooks, amassing all of the components from our stakeholders.
At this time, we’re not in such a important scenario; the EHF EUROs have developed very nicely, and we’re happy with the younger age classes occasions. We’ve seen gamers transfer on to the senior nationwide groups who’ve already performed 100 matches on the highest youth degree, resulting in a rise within the high quality of the sport. Occasion manufacturing has additionally advanced considerably. For example, I keep in mind the 2000 remaining match between FC Barcelona and THW Kiel, which was broadcast solely on Catalan TV, with the away match not even proven in Germany, whereas residence match was broadcasted for under 20 minutes. It was a giant dialogue about that. These days, we guarantee protection of all matches throughout numerous channels in Europe and outdoors Europe. Disaster just isn’t a cause for this competitors convention. Far more, we really feel a duty to look towards the longer term. That’s the reason we named it “European Handball Future” (as an alternative of “Federation”); we need to focus on ongoing developments. The media market is altering, with growing fragmentation between public channels and digital media. The advertising panorama can be evolving as a consequence of world enterprise conditions. If we need to outline our future, we should begin someplace, and logically, this begins with our competitors methods.
There are actually belongings you would have favored to vary throughout your time in handball however had been unable to. In case you had a magic wand, what would you alter first in handball at present?
- If I may I’d change our affect of European handball in worldwide handball. At present, no matter is completed by way of guidelines and rules, all that both has to return from Europe or we have now to implement issues during which we weren’t even concerned. The affect sooner or later should develop normally. We have to enhance the atmosphere and identification with the followers, as seen in Cologne, and for ladies’s handball in Budapest. Folks recognize high-quality occasions. We will’t focus solely on technical issues if there was three or three and 1 / 4 of steps, however we have now to see what’s attention-grabbing for the followers.
Folks typically say that we are able to’t contemplate handball a world sport and not using a critical daily-handball life on the markets just like the USA and China? Are there something EHF can do it as part of world handball group?
- I see two choices: both we cooperate with the IHF to handle one thing in China, India, South America, USA and the northern a part of Africa or if we are able to’t handle, we should strengthen our personal continent much more.
Though numerous TOP occasions are very nicely organized, it looks like handball has been caught between Herning and Cologne lately. Can this be thought-about as a weak point or problem for you? Which markets do you see as having the best potential for progress?
- You might be completely right regarding venues and pursuits. There’s monetary causes, however we additionally want full venues. As a sport, we endure, the other of soccer, as a result of good sports activities halls are sometimes not owned by handball organizations. This dependence means we should depend on numerous nations to supply venues for actions. For instance, I used to be in Zagreb for a number of gamers farewell ceremony after the EHF Qualifier between Croatia and the Czech Republic, the place there have been 15,000 followers. It reveals that high quality occasions can occur in numerous areas of Europe.
Will probably be the EHF’s job to work with organizers, as we’d like their collaboration. It’s important to generate curiosity; for instance, individuals may pay a substantial quantity for a live performance, however are sometimes reluctant to pay even a small payment to observe top-level sports activities. There are specific markets we wish to strengthen, and that is for certain typical sports activities markets like Nice Britain, Italy, and Turkey. Nevertheless, for this, we additionally want the sturdy work of the Federation and the golf equipment. With out them, we are able to’t create curiosity.
Because the EHF, we make investments quite a bit in mid-range and rising nations to assist them develop. Rising the variety of groups within the EURO on 24 groups, was an vital step. For example, earlier than 2020, nationwide groups just like the Faroe Islands had nearly no likelihood to qualify; now they play a priceless function in European handball. It most likely received’t carry loads of earnings to the TV market, however there are millions of enthusiastic followers who play an vital function in European handball. We have to elevate extra international locations to a stronger competitors degree to extend the general worth of the game.
Regardless of the problems surrounding the quarterfinal match of the EHF Cup between Partizan and AEK, do you imagine that handball ought to search for alternatives to broaden its fan base by partnering with main sports activities/soccer golf equipment which have tens of millions of followers? Basketball has efficiently managed to include groups and types from Spain, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Germany, and so forth.
- You might be proper, however I wish to summarize this Partizan-AEK story in a single sentence. That is precisely what we don’t want. I imply, 20-25 years in the past, we had extra issues at that degree, and we managed to get the golf equipment to grasp that it’s not of their or our curiosity to look again into the previous. It should have penalties, and authorized establishments will take choices on what precisely must occur, however I’m very a lot in favor of sending clear alerts that we don’t anticipate such habits. I don’t need to conceal it. With the leagues and the Federations, we’re in common contact with huge soccer golf equipment. A few years in the past, we established contact. These huge golf equipment have already got an current skilled construction, and we are able to see that Portuguese handball has taken benefit of that with three soccer golf equipment producing handball groups. At occasions, we have now to dwell with the downsides of that, nevertheless it actually requires effort to make individuals perceive that this isn’t the fitting place for hooliganism.
Within the wealthiest European nation, Norway, which has Olympic champions, it occurred that the three-time EHF Champions League winner Vipers went bankrupt, and the boys’s undertaking Kolstad is going through main monetary issues. Is that this an issue of the Norwegian sports activities system, or does it must do with handball as a product?
– Sadly, that is a part of the event we’re seeing in numerous sports activities proper now. High golf equipment are very centered on their possibilities and ambitions, and the financing just isn’t grounded with this quantity. If a small membership loses a small amount of cash, it doesn’t break the membership, however with such quantities, it does. Plus, the nationwide federation has actual obligations concerning the membership; they converse the identical language and have rather more prospects to investigate the membership. We get golf equipment for the Champions League in the midst of June, and instantly we have now to decide on who can play—it’s nearly no time to evaluate the liquidity of the membership. North Macedonia is an efficient instance; there are three golf equipment on the same degree, and we don’t know who can be first. We will’t test the background concerning the financial scenario. There are cultural understandings and language limitations, and we’re very a lot depending on nationwide federations. We will certainly develop a greater management system, however along with nationwide federations.
Group Vipers Kristiansand, Vipers Kristiansand vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria, EHF FINAL4 Girls 2023, MVM Dome, Budapest, Hungary, 04.06.2023, Obligatory Credit score © Sasa Pahic Szabo / kolektiff
Sadly, seashore handball didn’t make it to change into an Olympic sport, regardless of the idea that it may in Paris 2024 or Los Angeles 2028. Volleyball efficiently launched its seashore model, which is for a very long time nicely built-in into the Olympic program. Then again, basketball succeeded with its 3×3 model. Is it time for handball to introduce a “shortened” model to attraction to the “TikTok technology”?
It’s not a query however extra of an announcement, I may have stated the identical as you probably did. Relating to workforce sports activities, it’s vital to say that we have now wonderful cooperation with different workforce sports activities as a result of, as analysis has confirmed, handball followers are additionally followers of different sports activities, and there’s no direct competitors. We even change data. Totally different sports activities certainly have totally different benefits and drawbacks. For instance, establishing handball in England is just too advanced as a result of they only constructed sports activities halls which are solely 36×18 meters, so basketball may be performed there, and volleyball may be performed, however we have now issues. There are a number of challenges within the background. General, the spirit of handball stays sturdy—it’s a tricky sport, however should you watch the gamers, quite a bit has modified within the final 20 years. Gamers of various nationalities play in numerous golf equipment, they usually meet one another, each in golf equipment and on the nationwide workforce degree. Due to this combine, we have now a good play scenario. Folks prefer to see gamers combating laborious but in addition appreciating their opponents, and that’s constructive. What we actually suffered from was that seashore handball didn’t make it to the Olympic Video games. That is sadly past our attain, however I need to say that we managed to get it into the European Video games and several other different facet competitions. Sadly, we don’t have an alternate in the meanwhile. In case you see the listing of subjects to be mentioned on the competitors convention, there’s a particular breakout the place individuals undergo numerous different sports activities varieties to carry one thing to the market that at the very least has an opportunity.
Each morning after we get up, we’re bombarded with NBA evaluation telling us what number of triple-doubles Nikola Jokić has had or what LeBron James has achieved. As a handball journalist who has been following the EHF Champions League for 20 years, I nonetheless don’t know precisely what number of matches Nikola Karabatić has performed within the competitors or what number of targets Filip Jicha has scored from seven-meters. Earlier than and after every of those stats, there’s a narrative. That’s what we have to have interaction individuals extra, and we’re falling behind…
– Could possibly be my phrases as nicely. Our efforts within the digital world have paid off. There are various extra shoppers following us, studying articles with athletes, and checking statistics. Sadly, the feed of statistics is advanced. I’m fairly certain all European sports activities should not on the identical degree as American sports activities. They make investments quite a bit in that, and I wish to see the identical in Europe. Nevertheless, it’s an extended option to go—not solely technically but in addition logistically demanding. We’ve to maintain engaged on it.
Unofficially, it’s been rumored that the Males’s EHF Champions League will broaden to 24 golf equipment. How do you see the way forward for the very best membership’s handball product?
– This initiative for enlargement comes from the EHF facet. High golf equipment prefer to play in opposition to one another, whereas smaller golf equipment say they don’t have any likelihood to develop in the event that they don’t play in opposition to the highest golf equipment. It’s a typical scenario. One of many essential causes for competitors convention is to create a platform the place individuals can focus on and pay attention to one another. It’s not possible for somebody to calls from one nook, after which we reply, and another person calls from one other nook. We have to carry them collectively, and sure, the enlargement of the Males’s EHF Champions League is a potential first step. And on Could 13, we could have the Girls’s competitors convention, the place we’ll focus on precisely the identical subjects for ladies’s competitors, together with future developments. The principle subjects would be the competitors system for the golf equipment, not only for the Champions League, however there are developments for enlargement, although not for 2025/2026—that’s not practical. I feel we have now achieved one thing in our sport that basketball has not managed thus far: to contain the golf equipment however on the similar time handle nationwide groups and leagues. The dialogue course of with golf equipment is great, and we’re getting in the fitting path, discovering options that everybody can dwell with. I need to additionally say that for the area, we have now a giant duty to guard totally different areas in Europe. For instance, the Balkan area has an extended custom in handball, and we should be certain that enthusiasm for the game continues there. I wish to see a top-level workforce from Serbia. We’re not there but, however we’ve had difficult years with Zagreb, and now they’re again on a degree that is smart for competitors. We had the same combat in North Macedonia with Metalurg and Vardar, and now there’s a brand new scenario we have now to undergo. Sadly, we misplaced Celje—it was membership, nicely organized, and a terrific accomplice. Hopefully, the boys’s cklub can be again. In Montenegro, we don’t at present see any males’s golf equipment; Cetinje is way from that. We’d like the area due to the curiosity and high quality. We’ve to guard this area, but in addition others. Our duty is to create options, to encourage individuals and push them just a little bit – concluded Wiederer.
