
"A lot of different interests have to be considered in this process. It was and is important to us that there is no free ride for dubious business activities," said Fernando Carro, chairman of the Bayer 04 board.
FFP proved to be vulnerable in the past because rules could be avoided. "Against that background, we as the Bundesliga must and can live with the compromise reached," added Carro. The ECA with its 240 members, including numerous Bundesliga clubs such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund alongside Bayer 04, has played a considerable part in the follow-up ruling to FFP. The results now have to be approved by the executive committee at UEFA.
Media reports have recently said that UEFA will decide on the updated FFP in April. It is believed clubs will only be able to spend up to 70% of their income on transfers, salaries and agents fees. But the salary cap demanded by many will not happen.
The difference between income and expenditure may be balanced out by external investors to the sum of up to €30 million per season. Up to now it has been €10 million per season. The unlimited flow of money from investors, primarily feared by German clubs, will thereby be avoided. The ECA has also decided to give €1 million to help people from the Ukraine affected by the war. This "first financial contribution" is to be used to support a range of initiatives by ECA member clubs.

Bayer 04 have comfortably reached the DFB Pokal second round thanks to a 4–0 victory away to Liga 3 side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Patrik Schick put the Werkself ahead in the first 45 in the first competitive match under head coach Carles Martínez with debuts for new signings Miguel Gutiérrez, Afonso Moreira and Facundo Medina. After the break, Lucas Vázquez (47'), Nathan Tella (69') and Christian Kofane (79') also found the back of the net.
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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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With the 2026/27 season set to kick off with a DFB Pokal tie away to SV Wehen Wiesbaden (Saturday, 22 August, 13:00 CEST), the squad numbers for two Werkself players have now been confirmed. New signing Afonso Moreira will wear the number 9, which he has already worn in pre-season friendlies. Lucas Vázquez is switching from number 21 to number 17 – the number he wore successfully at Real Madrid for many years.
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