
On Carro's selection, HORIZONT wrote: "Rarely has the large jury of sports management, clubs, associations, business and science been so unanimous on the 'Player of the Year'. Fernando Carro has achieved amazing things behind the scenes at Bayer 04 Leverkusen in recent years. The fact that the team produced an unprecedented sporting achievement in the 2023/24 season is ultimately just the more visible part of a development. It is based on the management of the club, which Carro has set up for success like no one before him."
The other award winners this year are the Schwarz Gruppe ('Sponsor of the Year'), the podcast 'Einfach mal Luppen' from Toni and Felix Kroos ('Medium of the Year') as well as Andreas Jung, long-serving marketing director of FC Bayern Munich ('Lifetime Award').
Photo: Fernando Carro (left, CEO of Bayer 04) and Axel Hellmann (CEO of Eintracht Frankfurt) - Mara Monetti Fotografie

The Werkself conceded a goal at home for the first time since the beginning of January 67 minutes into the game against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday. Jarell Quansah levelled late on for the final score of 1-1 to secure a point and avoid a first home defeat in six games. Bayer 04 were very critical of their performance after the game. The Werkself review.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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From special edition jerseys to fan banners, the home game against Mainz 05 was all about the many Bayer 04 fan clubs. Accordingly, a fitting tribute to the long-standing Werkself supporters was not to be missed during half-time in the Bundesliga match. Fernando Carro, CEO, honoured the up to 50-year anniversaries of six fan clubs in front of the coaches' benches at the BayArena.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 1-1 draw against Mainz 05 on Matchday 24 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season...

A late goal secured a point for Bayer 04 at home to FSV Mainz 05 in a match that saw the Black and Reds dominant in the second half. Despite lots of possession, the Werkself initially found few gaps and fell behind after 67 minutes when Sheraldo Becker scored in a Mainz counter-attack. In the closing stages, Leverkusen threw everything forward once again and equalised through Jarell Quansah (88').
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