It is like an opponent that Ivan Leko will return to Sclessin next season. He looks back on his tumultuous departure at the Rouches.
In recent months, Ivan Leko has put a lot of energy into adapting his philosophy to the core of Standard, so that he has built up a group that perfectly matches the values of the club. The disappointment at his departure along the back door is the same as his dedication and passion.
Certainly because Leko did not necessarily want to leave: “You need to know that my first wish was to stay with Standard. When I stayed last summer, they said I was crazy that I was in danger that it was not good for my CV. There was nothing in the greenhouse, three professional players at the start,” he remembers according to La Dernière Heure.
The changes higher had disturbed his plans. “Only two months ago I would have refused Kaa Gent’s offer because I wanted to stay in Liège, where I met great people. But at some point, for several reasons, it was not possible to stay.”
The Standard statement stated that the Croatian coach had refused to remain. “I will not comment on details. I experienced very nice moments at Standard, it was really difficult to leave the club. I am not going to ask, but you know why.” Leko hereby refers to Standard’s proposal to pay out his last year of the contract in two years, which he did not find acceptable.
So a new start had to be made: “I had the choice to take a vacation, to see what would come in September or October, and then the phone calls came from KAA Gent and Antwerp. Antwerp is next door, and to be honest, at the start of the conversations with the board it was 90-10 in my head. Then we had our first conversation with Sam Baro and Michel Louwagie.”
