Carro will also have a place on the supervisory committee of the UCC SA, the joint venture between the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the ECA. On that high-ranking group of experts, he replaces the only German representative Oliver Kahn who resigned his seat after his departure from Bayern Munich in the spring of 2023.
In addition to Carro, the Bundesliga will continue to be represented by Jan-Christian Dreesen (Bayern Munich) and Oliver Mintzlaff (RB Leipzig). Both were able to qualify for a seat on the board in the vote held on Thursday. Germany is thereby the only country that has three board representatives on the ECA for the next four years up to 2027.
Fernando Carro on his appointment: "It is important that German football has a significant voice in the European context in these demanding and forward-looking times. I look forward to the coming tasks and also knowing that I will have two expert and experienced allies for German interests at my side in Jan-Christian Dreesen and Oliver Mintzlaff.“
The European body UEFA and the ECA agreed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on extending cooperation to 2030 on Wednesday. The close cooperation of the two organisations was a crucial factor in turning away from the Super League in 2021 and then enabling the reform of the UEFA Champions League from 2024.
The ECA:
The European Club Association (ECA) is an autonomous and independent special interest group of European football clubs officially recognised both by UEFA and FIFA. Since being founded in 2008, the ECA protects and supports clubs in all international football matters and decision-making processes. The ECA sees the club as the "heart of football." The ECA is headed by an executive board elected by the general meeting that is supported by a number of committees with specific responsibilities and areas of activity. Click HERE for the ECA homepage.
Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.
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Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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Bayer 04 start the 2026/27 season away to third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the DFB Pokal tie on Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The topics: anticipation, passion, the fans’ support – and the captaincy for the new season.
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After 62 days of preparation, the time has finally come: the Werkself kick off the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season on Sunday (16:00 CEST) with an away match at RB Leipzig. Following a major shake-up over the summer, with eleven players leaving and twelve new signings, initial impressions from the past few weeks have given manager Roberto Pätzold great cause for optimism.
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SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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