Berlin: 'Bridge builder' Fernando Carro honoured at the Spanish Embassy

Speaking in the ceremonial hall at the Spanish Embassy at Tiergarten in Berlin, Carro said: "I've always endeavoured to create good relations between these two countries and I will continue to do that. I think both nations can learn a lot from each other." In relation to his career in the professional football business he had a lot to thank Rudi Völler for: "He will always be a very important point of contact for me in the future with his experience and knowledge of football."

DFB official Völler, who Carro worked with at Bayer 04 from 2018 to 2022, said in his speech: "It's not easy to come into the world of football business from outside. Fernando has done it with his passion for sport and his engaging manner. He has brought important and fresh impetus to Bayer 04 in recent years and now enjoys great respect including on the international sporting stage."

The president of the chamber of commerce, Juan José de Vicente Caballero, plus Spain's ambassador Pascual Ignacio Navarro Ríos paid tribute to Carro as a "bridge builder" for the economic relations between the two nations. Both not only referred to football but also Carro's time with the global Bertelsmann group where the Spaniard worked in a number of top management roles over 25 years.