Werner Wenning, chair of the shareholders committee at Bayer 04, believes the club is in a good position: "I'm very happy that Fernando Carro will continue his successful work for Bayer 04 Leverkusen over the long term. He has been outstanding in representing the club at home and abroad. His voice has increasing weight and that also does Bayer 04 good."
The Werkself have qualified for European competitions in all of the four years since Carro took up his post. The team under head coach Gerardo Seoane have achieved the best finish in six years with third place in the Bundesliga ensuring direct qualification for the Champions League.
At the Werkself, Carro has primarily promoted the development and professionalism of the football company with a staff of now around 300. In addition, he has worked with the retiring sporting managing director Rudi Völler and his successor Simon Rolfes in the transition of responsibilities on the footballing side.
The 57-year-old has represented Bayer 04 as a board member on the European Club Association (ECA) since 2021. Carro is also involved with various UEFA working parties – including the committee that prepared the decisions around Champions League reform 2024.
Fernando Carro: "The emotional and dynamic environment of football means a lot to me just as much as the professional parameters offered at Bayer 04. We have already been able to achieve much together. Now it is all about making the maximum of the solid foundations and us being able to continue to improve. We are pursuing ambitious targets in all areas of our organisation. We want a modern and innovative club that is, above all, successful on the pitch."
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day six (Friday 7 August) is as follows: This morning, the squad completed their final training session – this time behind closed doors – here in Blankenhain, before heading back to Leverkusen after lunch. The big season launch is scheduled for tomorrow.
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