View source for Ivan Leko

{{Short description|Croatian footballer and manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ivan Leko
| image = Ivan Leko (cropped).png
| caption = Leko with [[HNK Hajduk Split|Hajduk Split]] in 2023
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1978|2|7}}
| birth_place = [[Split, Croatia|Split]], [[Socialist Republic of Croatia|SR Croatia]], [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|SFR Yugoslavia]]
| height = 1.78 m
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| currentclub = [[KAA Gent]] (head coach)
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1995–2001
| clubs1 = [[HNK Hajduk Split|Hajduk Split]]
| caps1 = 143
| goals1 = 33
| years2 = 1996
| clubs2 = → [[HNK Trogir]] (loan)
| caps2 = 7
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 2001–2005
| clubs3 = [[Málaga CF|Málaga]]
| caps3 = 79
| goals3 = 4
| years4 = 2005
| clubs4 = [[HNK Hajduk Split|Hajduk Split]]
| caps4 = 14
| goals4 = 3
| years5 = 2005–2009
| clubs5 = [[Club Brugge K.V.|Club Brugge]]
| caps5 = 98
| goals5 = 21
| years6 = 2009
| clubs6 = → [[K.F.C. Germinal Beerschot|Germinal Beerschot]] (loan)
| caps6 = 30
| goals6 = 4
| years7 = 2009–2014
| clubs7 = [[K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen|Lokeren]]
| caps7 = 122
| goals7 = 12
| totalcaps = 493
| totalgoals = 80
| nationalyears1 = 1993–1994
| nationalteam1 = [[Croatia national under-16 football team|Croatia U16]]
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1993
| nationalteam2 = [[Croatia national under-17 football team|Croatia U17]]
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1994–1995
| nationalteam3 = [[Croatia national under-18 football team|Croatia U18]]
| nationalcaps3 = 3
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| nationalyears4 = 1994–1995
| nationalteam4 = [[Croatia national under-19 football team|Croatia U19]]
| nationalcaps4 = 4
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 1998
| nationalteam5 = [[Croatia national under-20 football team|Croatia U20]]
| nationalcaps5 = 1
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| nationalyears6 = 1994–2000
| nationalteam6 = [[Croatia national under-21 football team|Croatia U21]]
| nationalcaps6 = 21
| nationalgoals6 = 5
| nationalyears7 = 2001
| nationalteam7 = Croatia B
| nationalcaps7 = 1
| nationalgoals7 = 0
| nationalyears8 = 1999–2006
| nationalteam8 = [[Croatia national football team|Croatia]]
| nationalcaps8 = 13
| nationalgoals8 = 0
| manageryears1 = 2014
| managerclubs1 = [[Oud-Heverlee Leuven|OH Leuven]]
| manageryears2 = 2015–2016
| managerclubs2 = [[PAOK FC|PAOK]] (assistant)
| manageryears3 = 2016–2017
| managerclubs3 = [[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]]
| manageryears4 = 2017–2019
| managerclubs4 = [[Club Brugge KV|Club Brugge]]
| manageryears5 = 2019
| managerclubs5 = [[Al Ain FC|Al-Ain]]
| manageryears6 = 2020
| managerclubs6 = [[Royal Antwerp F.C.|Antwerp]]
| manageryears7 = 2021–2022
| managerclubs7 = [[Shanghai Port FC|Shanghai Port]]
| manageryears8 = 2023
| managerclubs8 = [[HNK Hajduk Split|Hajduk Split]]
| manageryears9 = 2024–2025
| managerclubs9 = [[Standard Liège]]
| manageryears10 = 2025–
| managerclubs10 = [[KAA Gent]]

}}
'''Ivan Leko''' (born 7 February 1978) is a Croatian professional [[Manager (association football)|football manager]] and former [[Football player|player]] who is currently head coach [[Belgian Pro League]] side [[KAA Gent]].

==Club career==
Leko started his career with his hometown club [[Hajduk Split]] and played there for several seasons, before moving to Spain to join [[Málaga CF|Málaga]]. In his early senior years, he was loaned to [[HNK Trogir]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://arhiv.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20021114/sport01.asp |title=Slobodnadalmacija |access-date=3 May 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002559/http://arhiv.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20021114/sport01.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In January 2005, Leko returned for a brief stint with Hajduk; in the summer he joined [[Club Brugge]].

On 15 January 2009, he decided to sign a contract for [[K.F.C. Germinal Beerschot|Germinal Beerschot]]. After his spell in Antwerp, he ended his career at [[K.S.C. Lokeren|Lokeren]].

==International career==
Leko made his debut for [[Croatia national football team|Croatia]] in a June [[1999 Korea Cup]] match against [[Egypt national football team|Egypt]], coming on as a 65th-minute substitute for [[Mario Cvitanović]], and earned a total of 13 caps, scoring no goals.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mamrud, Roberto|title=Croatia – Record International Players|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/kroa-recintlp.html|date=16 July 2009|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=15 October 2009}}</ref> He was called up to the squad to participate in the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], but played no part in the tournament, as Croatia exited in the group stage. His final international was a June 2006 friendly against [[Spain national football team|Spain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=12015|title=Player Database|accessdate=8 October 2022|website=EU-football}}</ref>

==Managerial career==
Leko made his debut as a manager in 2014, with [[Oud-Heverlee Leuven|OH Leuven]], but he managed club for a season.

In 2015, he became an assistant manager of Greek side [[PAOK FC|PAOK]] under the coaching staff of Croatian manager [[Igor Tudor]], who was sacked in 2016. For the 2016–17 season, he managed [[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]]; for the next two seasons, 2017–18 and 2018–19, Leko was the manager of [[Club Brugge]]. He celebrated [[2017–18 Belgian First Division A|Jupiler Pro League]] and [[2018 Belgian Super Cup|Belgian Super Cup]] in his first season in Brugge. Also, Leko won the title of [[Belgian professional football awards|Professional Manager of the Year]]. In October 2018, Belgian police interrogated him for corruption investigation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Club Brugge coach Ivan Leko interrogated by Belgian police for corruption investigation|url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/sport/31589-club-brugge-coach-ivan-leko-interrogated-by-belgian-police-for-corruption-investigation|work=total-croatia-news.com|access-date=29 October 2018|archive-date=29 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029232435/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/sport/31589-club-brugge-coach-ivan-leko-interrogated-by-belgian-police-for-corruption-investigation|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In May 2019, [[Club Brugge KV|Club Brugge]] and Leko parted ways. The 41-year-old coach had been with the club since 2017.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20190521_04414872 | title=Club Brugge bevestigt vertrek Ivan Leko, deur staat wagenwijd open voor Philippe Clement | date=21 May 2019 | website=standaard.be | accessdate=20 October 2021}}</ref> On 1 June 2019, he was appointed at his new club, [[Al Ain FC|Al Ain]]. In December 2019, Leko left club [[Al Ain FC|Al Ain]] after a disastrous home defeat against [[Al Dhafra FC|Al Dhafra]]. Both sides had agreed to end their cooperation after five months of poor play.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sport360.com/article/football/arabian-gulf-league/340450/al-ain-and-ivan-leko-part-by-mutual-consent-after-poor-arabian-gulf-league-run | title=Al Ain and Ivan Leko part by 'mutual consent' after poor Arabian Gulf League run | date=21 December 2019 | website=sport360.com | accessdate=25 October 2021}}</ref>

On 20 May 2020, Leko was appointed the manager of [[Royal Antwerp F.C.|Royal Antwerp]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://royalantwerpfc.be/news/ivan-leko-komende-2-seizoenen-hoofdtrainer-van-rafc/ |title=IVAN LEKO KOMENDE 2 SEIZOENEN HOOFDTRAINER VAN RAFC! |website=royalantwerpfc.be |date=20 May 2020 |access-date=1 June 2020 |language=nl |archive-date=8 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608151333/https://royalantwerpfc.be/news/ivan-leko-komende-2-seizoenen-hoofdtrainer-van-rafc/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Taking over the team from [[Laszlo Bölöni]], he led the team to win their first [[2020 Belgian Cup Final|Belgian Cup]] since 1992, with a 1–0 win against his former side Club Brugge in the final. This earned Antwerp a qualification in the [[2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage]] for the first time in the club's history, where they were drawn in Group J against [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]], [[LASK Linz]] and [[PFC Ludogorets Razgrad|Ludogorets Razgrad]]. Leko led the team to a surprising second place finish in the group, with four wins and two losses, culminating in a 1–0 home victory against Tottenham on 29 October; as a result, the team qualified for the round of 32, where they were drawn against [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]. In December 2020, Leko left Royal Antwerp and moved to [[Shanghai Port F.C.|Shanghai Port]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/18975166.rangers-handed-europa-league-boost-royal-antwerp-lose-manager-shanghai-sipg/ | title=Rangers handed Europa League boost as Royal Antwerp lose their manager to Shanghai SIPG | date=29 December 2020 | website=heraldscotland.com | accessdate=29 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/rangers-europa-league-opponents-royal-antwerp-lose-manager-ivan-leko-3082038 | title=Rangers' Europa League opponents Royal Antwerp lose manager Ivan Leko | date=30 December 2020 | website=scotsman.com | accessdate=29 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://sporza.be/nl/2020/12/29/officieel-ivan-leko-verlaat-antwerp-voor-chinees-avontuur~1609258674274/ | title=Officieel: Ivan Leko verlaat Antwerp voor Chinees avontuur | date=29 December 2020 | website=sporza.be | accessdate=29 October 2021}}</ref> where he took up his new post with the Chinese team, under a two-year contract worth five million euros.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.7sur7.be/football-belge/le-contrat-mirobolant-qui-attend-ivan-leko-en-chine~aac15d175/ | title=Le contrat mirobolant qui attend Ivan Leko en Chine | date=29 December 2020 | website=7sur7.be | accessdate=29 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=官方：克罗地亚籍主教练伊万-莱科执教上海上港 |url=https://news.zhibo8.cc/zuqiu/2021-01-01/5febd2c3342a8.htm |publisher=zhibo8.cc |date=2021-01-01|language=zh}}</ref> In February 2021, Leko was introduced as the new head coach of Shanghai Port at the [[Pudong Football Stadium|SAIC Motor Pudong Arena]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.china.org.cn/china/Off_the_Wire/2021-02/02/content_77181057.htm | title=Ivan Leko unveiled as head coach of CSL side Shanghai Port | date=2 February 2021 | website=china.org.cn | accessdate=2 November 2021}}</ref>

On 31 December 2022, he returned to Croatia to coach his former club Hajduk Split; however, he was dismissed on 23 October 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://total-croatia-news.com/news/sport/ivan-leko-2/ |title=Ivan Leko Sacked, Mislav Karoglan Returns as Hajduk coach |publisher=Total Croatia News |date=23 October 2023 }}</ref> On 4 January 2024, he became head coach of Belgian side [[Standard Liège]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://standard.be/nl/news/welcome-ivan |title=Ivan LEKO nieuwe T1 van de Rouches |publisher=Standard Liège |language=nl |date=4 January 2024 }}</ref>

==Investigation==
In October 2018, while at Club Brugge, Leko was interrogated by Belgian police as part of a corruption investigation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/sport/31589-club-brugge-coach-ivan-leko-interrogated-by-belgian-police-for-corruption-investigation | title=Club Brugge Coach Ivan Leko Interrogated by Belgian Police for Corruption Investigation | date=10 October 2018 | website=total-croatia-news.com | accessdate=4 November 2021 | archive-date=29 October 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029232435/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/sport/31589-club-brugge-coach-ivan-leko-interrogated-by-belgian-police-for-corruption-investigation | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20181010_03825276 | title=Opgepakte Ivan Leko is wereldnieuws: imagoschade voor Club Brugge is nu al enorm | date=11 October 2018 | website=nieuwsblad.be | accessdate=4 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.walfoot.be/news/2018-10-11/ivan-leko-a-ete-libere | title=Bonne nouvelle pour Ivan Leko | date=11 October 2018 | website=walfoot.be | accessdate=4 November 2021}}</ref> 
In the subsequent court case, the judge demanded to know why Leko had received a payment from Dejan Veljkovic's Cypriot account in 2015.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/club-brugge-trainer-ivan-leko-ontving-in-2015-geld-van-dejan-veljkovic~bae3f5b8/ | title=Club Brugge-trainer Ivan Leko ontving in 2015 geld van Dejan Veljkovic | date=19 October 2018 | website=demorgen.be | accessdate=4 November 2021}}</ref> In June 2019, Leko was interrogated all day as part of the investigation into fraud in [[Football in Belgium|Belgian football]], but was later released.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/06/27/ex-club-brugge-trainer-ivan-leko-wordt-ondervraagd-in-voetbalsch/ | title=Ex-Club Brugge-trainer Ivan Leko buiten na verhoor, advocaat ontkent dat verhoor over transfers ging | date=27 June 2019 | website=vrt.be | accessdate=8 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rtbf.be/sport/football/belgique/jupilerproleague/detail_ivan-leko-aurait-recu-de-l-argent-lors-de-transferts-et-pour-aligner-certains-joueurs?id=10257378 | title=Ivan Leko aurait reçu de l'argent lors de transferts et pour aligner certains joueurs | date=27 June 2019 | website=rtbf.be | accessdate=8 November 2021}}</ref>

==Managerial statistics==
{{updated|match played 24 May 2025}}{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
|-
!rowspan=2|Team
!rowspan=2|From
!rowspan=2|To
!colspan=5|Record
|-
!{{abbr|P|Matches played}}!!{{abbr|W|Matches won}}!!{{abbr|D|Matches drawn}}!!{{abbr|L|Matches lost}}!!{{abbr|Win %|Win percentage}}
|-
|align=left|[[Oud-Heverlee Leuven|OH Leuven]]
|align=left|26 February 2014
|align=left|28 November 2014
{{WDL|32|16|7|9|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truiden]]
|align=left|1 July 2016
|align=left|8 June 2017
{{WDL|44|16|8|20|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Club Brugge KV|Club Brugge]]
|align=left|8 June 2017
|align=left|2 June 2019
{{WDL|99|53|24|22|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Al Ain FC|Al-Ain]]
|align=left|2 June 2019
|align=left|21 December 2019
{{WDL|17|9|5|3|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Royal Antwerp F.C.|Antwerp]] 
|align=left|20 May 2020
|align=left|29 December 2020
{{WDL|26|14|4|8|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Shanghai Port FC|Shanghai Port]]
|align=left|1 January 2021
|align=left|1 December 2022
{{WDL|58|32|12|14|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[HNK Hajduk Split|Hajduk Split]]
|align=left|31 December 2022
|align=left|23 October 2023
{{WDL|37|22|4|11|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Standard Liège]]
|align=left|1 January 2024
|align=left|present
{{WDL|62|14|23|25|decimals=2}}
|-
!colspan=3|Total
{{WDLtot|375|176|87|112|decimals=2}}
|}

==Honours==
===Player===
'''Hajduk Split'''
*[[Prva HNL]]: [[2000–01 Prva HNL|2000–01]], [[2004–05 Prva HNL|2004–05]]
*[[Croatian Football Cup|Croatian Cup]]: [[1999–2000 Croatian Cup|1999–2000]]

'''Málaga'''
*[[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]: 2002

'''Club Brugge'''
*[[Belgian Cup]]: [[2006–07 Belgian Cup|2006–07]]
*[[Belgian Supercup]]: 2005

'''Lokeren'''
*[[Belgian Cup]]: [[2011–12 Belgian Cup|2011–12]]

===Manager===
'''Club Brugge'''
*[[Belgian First Division A|Jupiler Pro League]]: [[2017–18 Belgian First Division A|2017–18]]<ref>{{cite web|publisher=sport.be|author=TOM VAN AKEN|title=Club kampioen na een punt in Luik|url=http://www.sport.be/nl/jupilerproleague/nieuws/article.html?Article_ID=832935|date=13 May 2018|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-date=14 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514065215/http://www.sport.be/nl/jupilerproleague/nieuws/article.html?Article_ID=832935|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Belgian Super Cup]]: [[2018 Belgian Super Cup|2018]]

'''Antwerp'''
*[[Belgian Cup]]: [[2019–20 Belgian Cup|2019–20]]

'''Hajduk Split'''
*[[Croatian Football Cup|Croatian Cup]]: [[2022–23 Croatian Football Cup|2022–23]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Belgian professional football awards|Professional Manager of the Year]]: [[2017–18 Belgian First Division A|2017–18]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat}}
* {{CFF player|94359/ivan-leko}}
* {{NFT player|8255}}
* {{Hrnogomet|id=1057|national_id=1021}}
* {{sports links}}

{{Standard Liège squad}}
{{Belgian First Division A managers}}
{{Belgian Professional Manager of the Year}}
{{Croatia squad 2006 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Managerial positions
|list1=
{{Oud-Heverlee Leuven managers}}
{{Sint-Truidense V.V. managers}}
{{Club Brugge KV managers}}
{{Al Ain FC managers}}
{{Royal Antwerp F.C. managers}}
{{Shanghai Port F.C. managers}}
{{HNK Hajduk Split managers}}
{{Standard Liège managers}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leko, Ivan}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Split, Croatia]]
[[Category:Croatian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Croatia men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Croatia men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Croatia men's international footballers]]
[[Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:HNK Hajduk Split players]]
[[Category:HNK Trogir players]]
[[Category:Málaga CF players]]
[[Category:Club Brugge KV players]]
[[Category:Beerschot A.C. players]]
[[Category:K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen players]]
[[Category:Croatian Football League players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Belgian Pro League players]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium]]
[[Category:Croatian football managers]]
[[Category:Oud-Heverlee Leuven managers]]
[[Category:PAOK FC non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Sint-Truidense V.V. managers]]
[[Category:Club Brugge KV managers]]
[[Category:Al Ain FC managers]]
[[Category:Royal Antwerp F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Shanghai Port F.C. managers]]
[[Category:HNK Hajduk Split managers]]
[[Category:Standard Liège managers]]
[[Category:UAE Pro League managers]]
[[Category:Chinese Super League managers]]
[[Category:Croatian Football League managers]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Belgium]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Greece]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in China]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in China]]
[[Category:21st-century Croatian sportsmen]]