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.
There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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Bayer 04 have won each of their last five competitive encounters with 1. FC Köln, and it's around seven years since their last defeat in the cathedral city. That said, the hosts are in strong form at home and will make it anything but easy for the Werkself at the RheinEnergieSTADION on Sunday afternoon (kick-off 15:30 CET). The Matchday News.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 2-0 win against Hamburger SV on Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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1. FC Köln host Bayer 04 on Sunday 8 November (kick-off 15:30 CET) in the 75th Bundesliga derby between the Rhineland neighbours. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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