European Handball League Board and Women’s European Handball League Board

When and why were the EHLB and WEHLB formed?

The EHLB, focused on men’s competitions, first convened in 2019. The initial meeting took place on 29 June of that year, in conjunction with the draw for the men’s and women’s EHF Champions League 2019/20.

Representatives of 28 national leagues were in attendance at that first meeting.

The main purpose of that first meeting was to elect members of the newly instated EHLB, aiming to have Europe’s men’s leagues represented within the EHF structure. The goal originally was for the EHLB to represent the interests and support the development of national leagues. The representatives elected at the first meeting served until the EHF Congress 2021, when election for the EHLB switched to being part of the proceedings at EHF Congresses.

In 2024, an equal body representing the women’s leagues competitions was formed — the introduction of the WEHLB. Today, the EHLB and WEHLB have the identical function for their respective genders.

What are the main tasks of the EHLB and WEHLB?

The EHLB and WEHLB are comparable to the Nations Board and Committees, but concentrated on club competitions.

The core focus is to work closely with European leagues to facilitate information exchange on a variety of topics including media, events, licensing, best practice and new business models. The EHLB and WEHLB also monitor the development of domestic leagues. 

The EHLB and WEHLB communicate all relevant information and provide strategic input to the Professional Handball Board and Women’s Handball Board, respectively, by way of two representatives each on those Boards.

What are the key topics for the EHLB and WEHLB right now?

The next big event on the agenda for both groups is their respective summit, coinciding with the culmination of the EHF Champions League season.

The WEHLB Summit will take place on 7 June, in conjunction with the Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026. Federations and leagues have been invited to participate, with social media selected as the focus topic, given its value in promotion of the game and increased visibility of women’s handball.

Prior to that, meetings with the leagues across the three ranking groups are held, concentrating on information exchange as the current season draws to a close. Looking ahead to 2026/27, the upcoming international season calendar has been reviewed, with particular examination of how it interacts with club competitions, both internationally and on the domestic level.

The WEHLB are interested in relevant stakeholders, such as leagues and clubs. The Board is involved in the restructuring of the women’s club competitions playing systems planned for 2027/28 and have increasing involvement in the Her Playground project, launched towards the end of 2025.

The EHLB, as the responsible body for men’s leagues, will hold the fifth edition of their summit on the fringe of the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2026 in Cologne. There, the final versions of the updated statutes shall be presented. The core topics addressed at the EHLB Summit will be licence systems, specifically the differences between smaller or lower-ranked leagues and elite leagues from stronger nations, and centralised services, such as naming partners, and technology and equipment partnerships.

Recently, the EHLB have been focused on topics such as membership, looking at cross-border and regional leagues. Changes to EHF Club Competition Regulations have also been a subject of discussion, specifically elements such as the fixed places in the EHF Champions League Men and the possibilities for altering the first rounds of the European Cup to ensure the clubs' maximum economic benefit. 

The EHLB and WEHLB have also agreed to regular joint meetings to facilitate further information exchange and work closely together on common goals. Those common priorities include the international calendar, national team versus club matches, challenges with finishing the season in time and the promotion of handball.

Who is on the EHLB and WEHLB, and how are they elected?

Current EHLB:

• Nikolas Larsson (SWE) — Chairman
• Frank Bohmann (GER) — Vice-Chairman
• Taneli Tiilikainen (FIN) — Member
• Ewan Hunter (GBR) — Member
• Patrice Hitz (SUI) — Member (stepped back from the role; new member to be elected at the next General Assembly)
• Miha Pantelic (SLO) — Member

Current WEHLB:

• Christoph Wendt (GER) — Chairman
• Karolina Bryl-Prokop (POL) — Vice-Chairwoman
• Thomas Gjelstrup Christensen (DEN) — Member
• Tonje Nøstvold Lunde (NOR) — Member
• Gwenhael Samper (FRA) — Member
• Merilin Must (EST) — Member

The EHLB and WEHLB are elected by the EHF Congress, with the chair and vice-chair selected from the elected members by themselves.

The current members were elected at the 17th Ordinary EHF Congress in Austria in September 2025.