Ivan Leko set to return for a fifth spell in Belgian football | OneFootball

Kevin Sauvage is reporting that Ivan Leko is set to become the new manager of Standard Liege. The Croatian is expected to sign a two and a half year deal to take over from the recently sacked Carl Hoefkens. This will be the fifth club that Leko has managed in Belgium, having begun his managerial career in 2014 with OH Leuven. He has since had spells with Sint-Truiden, Club Brugge and Antwerp.

After leaving Antwerp he spent time in China and most recently in his native Croatia with Hadjuk Split. He has won the Pro League once with Club Brugge during the 2017/2018 season, following that up with a Super-Cup win. He also won the domestic cup while at Antwerp in 2020.

Leko takes over a Standard Liege side that are in financial difficulty. They have once again reported losses and it is unclear if there will be any budget to sign players during the January window. The club is hoping for a top six finish and a chance at European football next season. Currently, Standard sit ninth in the league, nine points off sixth place which is occupied by Leko’s former side Antwerp.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson