Carro's fellow director Rolfes, head coach Xabi Alonso and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky presented Carro with a framed birthday collage on behalf of the club with photos of the Spaniard from recent years. The head chef surprised the CEO of the German double winners with a Black Forest gateau complete with candles. Hradecky led a birthday serenade and the whole team joined in with the singing.
"It's great that you're here. We all wish you a very happy birthday. Your health, your energy, your ambition – you can happily keep all that and stay as you are," declared Rolfes.
A surprise event for which Carro thanked the whole team on site full of joy.
Carro has led the board at Bayer 04 Leverkusen since 1 July 2018. The highlight to date of his time as CEO: winning the double of the German league title and the DFB Pokal last season.
Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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Opening opponents, derby weekends, the opponents in the season finale: This information and more will be available to Bayer 04 fans on Thursday, 2 July, when the 2026/27 Bundesliga fixture list is published.
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The next footballing highlight is just around the corner: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd edition of the tournament, will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico and feature 48 teams for the first time. Bayer04.de has all the latest on the Werkself players called up to represent their countries.
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While the majority of the Bayer 04 Women are enjoying their summer break, nine Werkself players will be on duty for their national teams in the coming days. Three of them are competing for a place at the World Cup, while six are involved in two friendlies with the Germany U23 team.
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