Club Brugge Coach Ivan Leko Settles 'Clean Hands' Case

Ivan Leko, the current coach of Club Brugge, has reportedly reached a settlement with the judiciary in the ongoing 'Clean Hands' investigation, which probes alleged corruption in Belgian professional football.

The settlement, which according to De Tijd was finalized several years ago, allows Leko to avoid criminal prosecution. This development comes as the investigation, launched in 2018, continues to involve numerous figures from Belgian football. Several prominent individuals, including Club Brugge chairman Bart Verhaeghe and former CEO Vincent Mannaert, as well as Michel Louwagie and Peter Maes, have previously reached similar agreements with prosecutors.

Sources indicate that Leko's settlement was agreed upon around the time he was pursuing coaching opportunities abroad. Since 2018, he has managed clubs such as Al Ain in the UAE, Shanghai SIPG in China, and Hajduk Split in Croatia. The judicial investigation itself was officially concluded in 2022, but the timeline for any potential court proceedings remains unclear.

However, De Tijd reports that the public prosecutor's office has recently requested that approximately half of the 56 remaining suspects be referred to the correctional court. This suggests that while some individuals, like Leko, have resolved their cases through settlements, others may still face trial.