Start of the Sacyr ASOBAL League postponed; Fertiberia hope to begin on the 9th at the Ovni

The Royal Spanish Handball Federation announced this morning that matchdays 1 and 3 of the Sacyr ASOBAL League, scheduled for 2 and 5 September, have been postponed. Fertiberia Handball Puerto Sagunto have therefore postponed their away matches against Barcelona and Bidasoa Irún. The red-and-white club hope that the match corresponding to matchday 2, against Recoletas Atlético Valladolid at the Ovni on 9 September, can go ahead.

President Juanjo Bataller stressed that the red-and-white club regretted the situation: ‘we are very concerned about the delay to the start of the league. It is a situation that particularly harms the smaller clubs. We need the league to begin so that we do not have to take other measures to address the financial problems that may arise from the delay to the competition’. In response, Bataller added: ‘ we hope to be able to hold the following home matches as normal and with spectators. On Wednesday 9 September, at 20.15, we expect to welcome Atlético Valladolid at home and celebrate it with spectators’. Following the same system as in pre-season, the red-and-white club president announced that, if everything ‘goes well and continues as planned, members M-101 to M-350, F-36, 58, 66, 123, 134, 136, 144, 146, 148, 151, 167, 172, 173, 191, 192, 193 and their linked members will enjoy the first league match at the Ovni’. Bataller insisted that members' passes are non-transferable ‘because the first and last names of those attending the match must be recorded, and the calculations have been made so that the permitted capacity is observed, including the linked members of the registered members’.

He also reminded everyone that passes must be collected from the club offices from Monday to Friday, between 10.00 and 13.00. ‘ Now is when we need our members most. This is a difficult time for everyone, but we hope that members will renew their commitment to the club and that soon we will all be able to enjoy the best Spanish handball again at the Ovni’.

It should be remembered that membership fees, which this season have been reduced by between 25 and 30% of their usual price, must be renewed at the club offices (24 Alfambra St, Puerto de Sagunto) by members wishing to renew their commitment

Prices range from €300 to €15. Honorary members can renew their commitment for €300, family membership costs €140, standard membership €100, retired membership €70, young and linked membership €40, and children's membership €15. For any queries, existing or new members can contact subealovni@cbmpuertosagunto.com.

The RFEBM announcement and ASOBAL's response

This morning, the Spanish Handball Federation decided to postpone the start of the league following an exchange of statements between the Federation and the ASOBAL clubs' association over the weekend. In the absence of an agreement, the association's acting board resigned and said it would convene a new Extraordinary General Assembly as soon as possible, at which the dissolution of the Association would be put to a vote. This has caused concern among ASOBAL's smaller clubs, some of which have stated that they will have no choice but to implement a temporary employment regulation scheme.

Specifically, the RFEBM stated the following: ‘In view of the request signed by almost 50% of the clubs and the Handball Players' Association (AJBM), the National Competition Committee of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation, meeting on an extraordinary basis this morning, has decided to postpone matchdays 1 and 3 of the Sacyr ASOBAL League, scheduled on the first two dates in the competition calendar for the 2020/2021 season – 2 and 5 September –.

The notice published by the Committee highlights the possible existence, learned of today, of infection cases at some clubs, which has lent greater weight to the request made by the signatories of the submission; although this postponement will be limited to these first two dates, and not the three covered by the proposal.

According to the Committee's statement, this request comes ‘in the absence of approval by the National Sports Council of the Action Protocol for the return to official non-professional state-level competitions for the 2020/2021 season, which must establish the common requirements to be met in order to guarantee the health and safety of participants to the greatest possible extent. Its approval is therefore crucial to providing all participants in the competition with the appropriate regulatory instrument and to resolving any incidents that may arise’.

At the appropriate time, and following consultation with the ASOBAL and RFEBM Competition Departments, new dates will be set for each of the postponed matchdays’.

In response to the announcement, ASOBAL issued an official statement which read: ‘During his speech at the start of the Extraordinary General Assembly, the President of the RFEBM committed to all participants that the competition would be played in the format and on the dates decided by the clubs themselves.

Before the Assembly ended, the clubs received notification from the National Competition Committee agreeing to postpone matchdays 1 and 3 of the SACYR ASOBAL League.

On learning of this situation, the five members of the Executive Committee representing the clubs resigned from their positions as members, vice-presidents and acting president.

The ASOBAL member clubs also decided to close the Assembly and convene a new Extraordinary General Assembly as soon as possible, at which the dissolution of the Association would be put to a vote’.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.