Jean Brihault: A Lifetime Shaping Handball

Jean Brihault (Source: © Rhein-Neckar Löwen – rhein-neckar-loewen.de)

Jean Brihault is one of the most influential figures in European and international handball, with a career spanning decades as a player, referee, and administrator. As former President of the European Handball Federation (EHF) and a long-time contributor to the French (FFHB) and International (IHF) Handball Federations, he has shaped the sport from grassroots development to elite competition.

In this interview, Brihault shares his insights on the evolution of handball, the challenges of growing the game in emerging nations, and the importance of governance, integrity, and strategic planning in sport administration. He reflects on his global experiences—including his advisory work in the United States ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and offers lessons on passion, cultural understanding, and building sustainable sports systems. Throughout, he highlights what drives the sport’s growth and how elite and grassroots levels must remain connected to ensure lasting success on and off the court.

The Making of a Handball Leader

Born in 1947 in France, Jean Brihault was introduced to handball at school and continued playing at university before joining a local club, where he spent 15 years competing in the second and third divisions. At the time, handball was an amateur sport, and he participated purely out of passion and later transitioning into refereeing.

Along the way, early experiences also exposed him to sport in other cultural contexts. He lived in Derry, Northern Ireland, from 1967 to 1968, when European handball was entirely unknown. Gaelic handball dominated instead, and the two sports were often confused, as they still are today. While he could not play his own sport there, observing a different sporting environment gave him an early understanding of how culture shapes athletic participation.

In 1990, his refereeing career concluded. One year later, as the EHF was being founded, he moved into sports administration as the French Handball Federation’s delegate to the EHF. Elected to the EHF Executive Committee in 2000, Brihault later took responsibility for the Young Referee Project at the European level. Serving as Vice President from 2004, he became President in 2012 and held the role until 2016, when the EHF age limit prevented him from standing for re-election. Since then, contributions have continued in various roles within both the European and International Handball Federations.

From Grassroots to Global Handball

After decades in the sport, Brihault brings a perspective shaped by his experience across all levels of handball. Handball has become so fast that further acceleration could risk chaos at the top level. “I think that we've now reached the limit,” he says, highlighting the challenge for referees to maintain control while keeping up with the pace, as players—both male and female—have become exceptionally fit and athletic.

Brihault emphasizes that handball must be developed from the ground up in emerging nations, ensuring that young players can enjoy and engage with the game at every level.

Fostering ambition in these countries is particularly challenging, as young athletes rarely see the sport played at its highest level, beyond limited online exposure. He explains that there must be a progressive pathway to the top, providing opportunities for young players to witness elite competitions firsthand.

“When you look at a place like Cologne for the Final Four of the Champions League, many people in Ireland , the United States , Scotland or Australia don’t realise the magnitude of this type of event. The enthusiasm of the people, the global event is beside the sport. So this is what we need to make sure travels from one level to the other.”

He underscores the need to connect elite and grassroots levels, warning:

“Now, what we must make sure of is that there is no disconnection between this top level and the basic level. If people at the bottom of the pile cannot identify with people at the top, then we run a big risk of having this total disconnection.”

Asked about the evolution of handball outside Europe, he highlighted South America as a striking example. He praised the achievements of Argentina and Brazil, noting that Brazil’s women becoming world champions represented “an awful lot of work put in, support coming from the IHF, but mostly local work, cooperation with European national federations.” He called it “the success story,” emphasizing that countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Portugal, once far from the top, are now "flirting with the highest level."

Turning to France, he illustrated how a structured, strategic approach transformed a once-middling national team into a global force. Before 1992, handball was widely played in schools and clubs, but the national team “was performing rather poorly.” At the 1985 National Congress of the French Federation, the president stressed moving from quantity to quality, saying, " 'The challenge would be to qualify for the 92 Olympic Games.’ ”

The team not only qualified but also won bronze, marking “the beginning of the success story,” driven by political decisions, technical competence, and a rationalized development plan.

Building Strong Leadership and Governance

Brihault noted that governance models vary widely across countries, from state-controlled systems to more democratic approaches. At the European level, he praised the EHF as a “success story,” pointing to its structures for collaboration and consultation. Regular forums—congresses, conferences of presidents, annual meetings of secretaries general, and coaching seminars—allow ideas to be tested and refined. As he explained: “At the top level, if you have a project and you test the idea with the people you meet, you can feel if there is enthusiasm, reticence, the expression of technical difficulties, but approval of the principle, or the other way around.”

On leadership, he stressed the need for balance between continuity and renewal.

“I think the best way is to make sure that people stay in the system…long enough, but not too long.”

The EHF enforces term limits and an age cap: “You cannot occupy the same position for more than three terms of office. You cannot go down in the system. You can only go up.” This approach encourages fresh leadership while keeping experienced figures engaged.

“People have to disappear at some stage…And those who don't want to continue, stop, but most people want to remain involved. And this means that we have a renewal, but at a reasonable pace, which guarantees continuity.”

On succession, he noted: “Most of the time, the first president was succeeded by his vice president. This new president was succeeded by his vice president. That was me. When I stopped, I was succeeded by the Secretary General, who was a professional, and then who was elected, and it’s very likely that the next president will also be the current vice president. You see, there’s a guarantee that there is no break inside the system.”

He summarized the approach: “There is an evolution. There are differences in approaches. This is needed. This is the dynamic side. But you don’t destroy or criticise all that was done before. The two risks you have to avoid are remaining in the same position for 30 years or total disruption every time there’s a change.”

Finally, he emphasized that the EHF’s success relies on a sufficient pool of experienced and committed people. Leadership is a learning process, often built through progressing within the system, while prior national or professional experience also plays a key role. Governance must be adapted to local conditions, as not every federation has enough qualified leaders ready to step into top roles. For Brihault, the key to effective sport administration lies in balancing structure, opportunity, and adaptability.

Growing Handball in the U.S.: 2017–2025

From 2017 to 2025, Jean Brihault served as the IHF’s advisor for the New Markets Project in the United States, guiding the development of handball in emerging regions. His work focused on building organizational structures, programs, and leadership to grow the sport ahead of the 2028 LA Olympic Games, positioning the U.S. as a stronger handball nation within the IHF’s broader global expansion strategy.

The USA Team Handball national governing body has faced several governance challenges involving its Board of Directors. These events are explained in detail by Team Handball News, based on meeting minutes and other official documents, in this video overview covering events between January 2023 and November 2024.

In August 2025, Team Handball News contacted both the IHF and Brihault to clarify the circumstances surrounding his resignation. Brihault’s and the IHF’s response were published in full in an article available to readers here. Team Handball News indicated that this article was purposely devoid of commentary or analysis to ensure that readers could clearly understand that this response was Brihault’s and the IHF’s and not the opinion of the author.

Beyond those initial statements, Brihault shared further clarifications. In these additional remarks, he pointed to a loss of credibility that occurs when leaders bypass established rules to attain positions of responsibility. He emphasized his firm belief that credibility must never be compromised, even in emerging handball markets.

“If people want to get into a position of responsibility, cheat with these rules, then, for me, nothing is possible and there’s no hope. Even if these people, once they're in the top position, do good work, even if their motivation is extremely high. If you get to a position of responsibility through means that are not the regular means, you have no real credibility. No real credibility internally or externally.”

He clarified that his disagreement was with the process, not the individuals. “For me, this was the situation concerning the United States. And I didn't approve, not of the people who are now at the top, but of the way they got there. And therefore, I wish them good luck. I hope they succeed, but I cannot be their partner anymore.”

In contrast, Michael King, who became CEO in August 2024, clarified in January 2026 that the leadership transition fully complied with U.S. law, the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, and the federation’s governing documents. He emphasized that all changes were voluntary or properly voted on, reviewed by oversight bodies, and that any assertions of impropriety are counterfactual. Following this statement, additional questions regarding the procedures in question were submitted in response to public accusations, but no reply has been received to date.

Brihault reflected on the U.S. team’s prospects for 2028, noting the steady progress made during his tenure. “From competition to competition, it was progressing,” he said, highlighting efforts such as securing wild cards for the 2025 and 2027 World Championships, which provided a guaranteed pathway for development.

Asked about what the U.S. could realistically achieve at the LA 2028 Olympic Games, he voiced uncertainty, pointing to recent changes in leadership and coaching.

“The new leadership decided to hire an American coach instead of the Swedish coach, who, in my opinion, had done an excellent job, assisted by a former German national team player who was also deeply involved. For me, it’s very difficult to see what’s going to happen. The idea was to encourage continuity, but the current leadership decided to recruit different staff and possibly different players. I don’t know about the players. These were two opposite approaches. They believe they can educate American athletes to a global level, and I hope they’re right, but I don’t believe it will be so easy. For me, this is a grey area. I have no idea what the level of performance can be for the American team in 2028.”

On May 16, 2025, USA Team Handball officially announced that Swedish coach Robert Hedin had stepped down as head coach of the men’s national team. The official announcement did not provide any reasons for his departure.

Following this, the new CEO of USA Team Handball was contacted by Irish Handball News and stated that Hedin’s departure “was a voluntary decision to pursue a new professional opportunity that was more economically advantageous.”

Separately, in an interview with Björn Pazen for the German publication Handball Woche, Hedin explained other reasons for leaving. This interview was subsequently shared and reported by other handball platforms, with translations and summaries circulated internationally, including an English translation by Team Handball News. When contacted directly by Irish Handball News in January 2026, Hedin emphasized that he “had a contract with USA Team Handball which included provisions regarding public comments, so out of respect for that agreement and for the organization, I am not in a position to share opinions or assessments about internal matters or the circumstances around my departure.” He also confirmed that his contract concluded in 2025.

Returning to his own perspective on U.S. handball, Brihault noted that growing the sport in non-traditional countries comes with unique challenges, especially in preparing for the Olympics, and stressed that the next few years will be decisive for its development and sustainability in the United States.

 Lessons from the U.S. Project

Drawing on these experiences, Brihault outlined four key lessons the International Federation could take from the U.S. project—particularly on balancing development goals with governance while avoiding alienation of those with differing views.

1. Clear agreements and mission statement

   
   

Brihault emphasized that the initial contract between the IHF and the supported nation must be “crystal clear”. In the U.S. project, no formal mission statement was established, leaving room for misunderstandings when leadership changed. Clear agreements ensure all parties—federation, advisors, and coaches—are aligned and prevent sudden shifts in approach. As he explained, “everybody should subscribe and sign this mission statement, so that we don't have this kind of accident, that if the leadership changes, the attitude is modified.” He added, “I think this transparency, this clarity is basic.”

2. Authority of the advisor as pivot

   
   

He emphasized that the advisor, referred to as the pivot, must be empowered to make decisions while consulting all parties involved. According to Brihault, giving the advisor this authority ensures that operational decisions can proceed smoothly while still respecting input from stakeholders.

3. Guarantees for technical staff and project continuity

   
   

Brihault highlighted the need to protect the stability of technical teams and projects, with contract guarantees to prevent uncertainty or conflict if staff face local issues. “What was concerning the women’s team was not satisfactory. The excellent coach placed at the head of this mission, on the technical level, could not work properly for local reasons—nothing to do with her.”

4. Balancing efficiency and democracy in inexperienced contexts

   
   

He pointed out that when working with federations or teams with little experience, an advisor must sometimes give clear, direct guidance to ensure progress. “If we cannot really tell them what to do, which is not democratic, I accept that, but then we're of no use,” he said. Once the local leaders gain experience, the approach can shift to a more collaborative decision-making style.

Concluding that any strategy can only succeed when genuinely shared and supported, not just outlined in plans or good intentions. “It’s not only the choice of the people at the top or the people around you. You are among those who made the decision.”

Building Handball in Emerging Nations

Brihault highlighted the importance of openness to expertise when developing handball in emerging countries.

"If those benefiting from this transfer of competence are not willing to accept that there is competence on the other side, which is superior to theirs at this stage of development, there's no hope,” he warned. “It's just like in a school room, if the pupils don't wish, don't want to hear what the teacher has to say, progress is very unlikely.”

He compared the U.S. to other emerging nations, like Japan and Middle Eastern countries, which often hire European coaches with extensive experience.

“This is not to say that European coaches are the best, but they have the experience. Now, the men's national team in the United States has a coach with very limited experience. I hope that he succeeds. I wish him the best. But it's difficult in the top level of competition to succeed in these conditions.”

Drawing lessons from Europe’s past, he emphasized that knowledge transfer was central to developing handball back then as well, recalling how Romanian coaches travelled across the continent to spread skills and best practices. Among these coaches, he singled out Niculae Nedeff, saying:

“He was one of the best in the world coming from Romania. He was called the Pope of handball in his lifetime. A brilliant coach and he brought us in French handball so much.”

Highlighting cultural and linguistic factors, Brihault added that integration is easier when there’s a common language or cultural connection.

For emerging nations, his message is clear: building handball sustainably requires humility, openness, and a willingness to put in the hard work. He acknowledged that the process is demanding, especially for countries new to the sport, where there is much to learn and adapt.

Comparisons with established powers can be discouraging, he noted, but they are also misleading. 

“When you compare yourself to top nations, you say, ‘Oh, but we are so small, we are so weak!’ But no, this is where other nations that are at the top now were in the past.”

Concluding with a contemporary example, he pointed to Portugal as an example of successful long-term planning. “Portugal really had a strategy for the development of handball. They are now virtually at the top. They were so methodical about it, so rational, so brave. And it worked.”

Global Growth: Adapting Handball Beyond Europe

Brihault noted that global handball is progressing unevenly but visibly: “I must say that Africa and Asia, though on a very unequal level, are progressing. Some of the countries are really progressing in those continents. So we've got to continue on this.”

At the same time, he cautioned against exporting European models without adaptation. Drawing on his experience in the US, he admitted:

“This is possibly one of the mistakes I made in the United States, where I thought I knew the culture. I worked with American universities for many years professionally. I have a reasonable mastery of the language. I thought that this was going to help.”

What he did not anticipate was a fundamentally different perception of credibility, shaped by cultural context rather than sporting logic. Drawing directly on his own experience, Brihault explained that the European tradition of volunteering—coaching children and contributing time without financial reward—is often understood very differently in the United States. “In Europe, you work for free with children, you coach for free,” he noted, whereas in the United States, “if you're not paid to do something, it basically means that you're not good and that you don't have much credibility.”

Brihault emphasized the broader lesson for international development: “All of this to illustrate the fact that the local culture must really be taken into account and when I say culture, it's outside handball.”

Olympic Exposure: Building Long-Term Engagement

Asked about handball’s prospects in emerging countries, Brihault acknowledged the challenge. “Very difficult to say,” he admitted, noting that visibility is crucial, particularly in nations hosting future Olympics without a handball tradition. “The more people see of it on television, the more they will be attracted to the game.” He noted that breaking into sports markets like the U.S. or Australia is challenging due to competition.

Still, past Olympic experiences offer reasons for optimism. “When we had the Olympic Games in London and in Rio, Rio is more of a Handball country than England, but in England it was a tremendous success. The arena was always sold out and there was great enthusiasm on the part of people who had never seen the game before.”  For Brihault, the real test comes after the spotlight fades: “The challenge is to make sure that three weeks after the games conclude, people will still continue playing the game. That's the biggest challenge.”

Passion Over Profit in Handball Development

Brihault highlighted a key challenge in developing sports systems: the tension between passion and financial expectation. He drew a clear distinction between being compensated for costs and being paid for expertise. While covering expenses such as travel and accommodation is both reasonable and necessary, he argued that expecting payment for coaching or technical competence is often unrealistic in countries where the sport’s economic structure is still weak or undeveloped.

According to him, in such contexts there simply are not yet the resources to support salaried coaches or paid development roles. The priority, he stressed, should be ensuring that those who contribute do not incur personal financial losses, rather than attempting to professionalize roles before the sport’s economy can sustain it.

He suggested that willingness to contribute under such conditions indicates genuine passion. Those who only engage if paid show interest, not commitment—particularly in environments where development relies heavily on voluntary effort and shared responsibility. As he put it, “when you adopt this position, you clearly announce that you're interested, but that you're not passionate.”

Reflecting on his early involvement in the sport, Brihault described a journey driven entirely by passion rather than institutional structure or financial reward. Long before formal bodies such as the EHF were established, he was already actively promoting the game at grassroots level in France.

As a student, he recalled traveling with friends on mopeds to local schools to demonstrate how easily handball could be introduced. The sport, he explained, required minimal resources: no formal court, no specialized equipment—only a playground, chalk to draw the lines, and goals sketched onto a wall.

That motivation, he emphasized, has not faded with time. “I did that when I was 18,” he said, “now I'm nearly 80, and the passion is the same.” While careful not to present himself as exceptional, Brihault noted that many individuals share this mindset. For them, he argued, “the repayment is the pleasure they create for others, the pleasure they take in the activity themselves.”

Without such people—those willing to invest emotionally, to experience both frustration and joy—sustainable development becomes impossible. As  he says, without this kind of commitment, “you’ve got no engine for the game in a country.”

Above all, Brihault’s experience underscores the central role of genuine passion and sustained commitment in building lasting sports structures—passion shown through actions rather than words, expressed in long-term involvement, voluntary contribution, and respect for collective responsibility. While professional expertise is essential, he has consistently emphasized that integrity, voluntary engagement, and respect for established processes are fundamental to handball’s global development. From this perspective, credibility becomes decisive: where it is weakened, full trust cannot reasonably be assumed, even if others have, or may choose to, take a different approach.

Taken together, his career offers a coherent and principled model of sports leadership—one rooted in credibility, continuity, and respect for both people and institutions—providing a durable reference point for future generations of handball administrators and decision-makers.