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.
With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
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Last-minute ecstasy, huge disappointment and a historic performance on the European stage - 2025 was a real emotional roller coaster, especially for the U19s. A rousing run in the knockout phase secured the team a place in the final of the German championships, where they lost by the narrowest of margins. Despite the departure of several key players, the young Werkself team quickly regained their usual strength and qualified for the knockout rounds in the UEFA Youth League for the first time at the end of the year. In 2025, youngsters Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath made their debuts in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The other youth teams also contributed great performances and a number of trophies to the collective Black and Red success, while the successful Bayer 04 Future Kids project broke new ground. Read on for the 2025 review of the youth teams.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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A memorable 12 months: 2025 was a year marked by success, intense competition and groundbreaking innovations for the #B04eSports team. After ending the 2024/25 season as runners-up, the Leverkusen-based console pros got down to business in a new, completely restructured season model, in which showdowns rather than divisions were the decisive factor on the road to the final round of the German Club Championship. Bayer 04 quickly earned a place in the history books of the most prestigious competition in German eSports and secured some valuable advantages for the coming year. Bayer04.de takes a look back at 12 months full of passion and the determination to take the next step.
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Sustainability once again had many faces at Bayer 04 in 2025: In community activity, the club supported countless regional campaigns, including the Leverkusener Tafel, the Frauenennotruf Leverkusen e.V. and the homeless aid organisation "Kältegang". But the Black and Reds have also been involved in good causes around the world - including the Young Coaches training programmes in Uganda and Ecuador plus the Genuine World Cup in the USA, where the Inclusion Werkself competed. Bayer 04 was also fully committed to the environment and underwent external and independently certification in accordance with the European environmental management standard EMAS, for example, to analyse and optimise the club’s environmental efforts. Looking back at sustainability in 2025.
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