The ECA represents around 230 professional clubs in Europe. The organisation is regularly represented by 24 board members, especially focused on topics relating to the continental football Association UEFA, which acts as the umbrella organisation for all national football associations and as a marketer of European club competitions. In addition to Carro, Dan Friedkin (President, AS Roma) and Oleg Petrov (CEO, AS Monaco) were newly appointed to the ECA Board of Directors.
It became necessary to fill positions on the board after several clubs and their officials represented on the ECA board sought and announced the establishment of a 'Super League' last April – bypassing the bodies of UEFA and ECA. The project failed. At the top of the ECA, Andrea Agnelli, club boss of Juventus, had to resign. With him went six other top officials of the Super League project. And nearly was replaced by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Chairman and CEO of the top French club Paris Saint-Germain.
"European football is facing major challenges, and not only because of the pandemic and its consequences. There will be a lot to accomplish in the next few years," said Fernando Carro, who has been the CEO at Bayer 04 since 2018. "I see this responsibility as both an honour and motivation. And I'm delighted that, as representatives of the Bundesliga, we will be given even greater voice, influence and opportunities for input when it comes to the future of football."
The Werkself host Paris Saint-Germain on the third matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, 21 October (kick-off: 21:00 CEST) in what promises to be a thrilling encounter at the BayArena. Ahead of the clash against the reigning champions from the French capital, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the positive development of his team and the great qualities of PSG. Defender Loïc Badé spoke about the great motivation for the match against the top team from his home country.
Show moreWith two wins against Atalanta and Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain have made a perfect start to the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. The defending champions visit the BayArena on Tuesday, 21 October (kick-off: 21:00 CEST). The Werkself will have their work cut out for them on Matchday 3. PSG's attacking line-up is one of the best that European club football has to offer. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show moreThe Bayer 04 U19s got their UEFA Youth League campaign off to a flying start with two wins. After the successful duels with FC Copenhagen (2-0) and PSV Eindhoven (3-2), the top team from Paris Saint-Germain now awaits. The home game against the youngsters of the reigning Champions League winners on Tuesday, 21 October (kick-off: 14:00 CEST/livestream on bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app), at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium will be a challenge, not least due to several players missing from the Werkself squad - but one that head coach Kevin Brok and his team are happy to accept: "We want to get the maximum out of every game, this time too!"
Show moreAfter a flawless tournament with only victories in the group and knockout stages, Argentina narrowly missed out on the title at the U20 World Cup in Chile. In the final on Monday night, Bayer 04 player Alejo Sarco and his fellow countrymen lost 2-0 to Morocco. Both goals were scored in the first half of the match played in Santiago de Chile. Sarco played for the first 60 minutes.
Show moreWerkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 1-5 loss against VfL Wolfsburg on the 7th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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