Butzeck: We need different hosts for the club world championship

Last week, the 2025 edition of the IHF Club World Championship, formerly known as IHF Super Globe, came to an end in Cairo, Egypt, with FC Barcelona winning the trophy for the sixth time after beating Veszprem in the final after overtime. How does Gerd Butzeck, candidate for the IHF presidential elections in December, this competition? 

“The Club World Championship is an excellent idea with participants from Australia, America, Asia, Africa and Europe. I like the idea, but I would rather like the Super Globe even more, if it is played not only played in the Gulf region or not now as we move to Egypt. I think that every year another location would be a good idea. The Super Globe could definitely help to promote handball in South America, in Australia, in North America. And maybe you could organise it on various levels, as it does not make that much sense to have an Australian team facing a German team.”

And there is one dream of Gerd Butzeck, connected to the IHJF Club World Championship: “To play the event in Madison Square Garden in New York. I have been there a couple of times to watch basketball games, but to see a handball game in Madison Square Garden would feel like the top of the world. In a city like New York, playing in Madison Square Garden would be something handball really deserves.”

Once, the IHF Super Globe for women’s teams was carried out – not enough to promote women’s handball, says Gerd Butzeck: “Unfortunately, we do not have a Women’s club world championship right now. It would be a good idea to have it. Once in the past there was an initiative from China, and I don’t know the reasons, but at the end of the day it didn’t work. But obviously it would be good to have a Women’s Super Globe as well as Emerging Nations Tournament for women, which does not exist.” 

In general, for Butzeck, a club world championship in different countries and continents would fit perfectly in the strategy of a global handball promotion: “We play handball to attract fans and of course to inspire kids, and it is extremely important to involve them and have as many fans as possible. The fans are the most important people as they are paying the bill at the end of the day. Therefore, we need to consider the wishes of the fans. We need to keep in mind what they want to see like the final weekend of the Champions League in Cologne. Handball is played for fans, and handball deserves more fans – like at the club world championship.”

See the video of Butzeck talking about the club world championship here.