Carro, who travelled to Geneva representing Bayer 04 as a member of the European Club Association (ECA), will be the only German representative on the committee of European top-ranking executives. He takes over from Michael Gerlinger (Bayern Munich) who will still have a seat on the ECA Executive Board.
"European club football is at a crossroads. It's a matter of bringing together different interests and finding workable solutions for everybody involved," declared Carro. "I like that intricacy, I like challenges like that and want to make a contribution in my role - on behalf of Bayer 04 Leverkusen - for German football together with our colleagues from the Bundesliga."
The UEFA Club Competitions Committee (CCC) is composed of 16 members from the ECA and four members from UEFA and reports to the UEFA Executive Committee. It has an important function in terms of organisation of compositions as well as the distribution of income from rights and marketing. The current chairman of the committee is the president of the Portuguese League Association Fernando Gomes.
In addition to Carro, the CEO of Manchester City, Ferran Soriano, plus club bosses Aurelio De Laurentiis (Napoli), Jacques-Henri Eyraud (Olympic Marseille) and Ivan Gazidis (AC Milan) were also nominated for the four-year term of office.
Michael Gerlinger and Hans-Joachim Watzke of Borussia Dortmund will represent German football on the ECA Executive Board from now on. Together with Fernando Carro's seat on the UEFA CCC, German football will now be represented by three clubs on European club committees.
Both the ECA Executive Board and the UEFA Club Competitions Committee see the currently discussed, potential reform of the UEFA Champions League from 2024 as one of the most important issues to be dealt with.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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