Croatian coach Ivan Leko, the 48-year-old manager of Club Brugge, has dropped 21-year-old winger Mamadou Diakhon from the squad after the player left training and drove home, Belgian media have reported.
Diakhon learned at Saturday's training session that Leko would not include him in the starting lineup for the derby against Anderlecht. According to Belgian media, he reacted heatedly, left the pitch, got into his car and drove home. His move was deemed a serious breach of professional obligations by the club, leading Leko to decide to omit him from the squad for Sunday's derby.
Diakhon had expected to earn a place in the starting eleven after Jan Virgili, who had previously taken his place in the team, sustained an injury. However, Leko decided to give the preference to Félix Lemaréchal. Due to Virgili's injury, Club Brugge already had fewer available players in the wing positions, and the derby against Anderlecht ended 1-1.
Diakhon's absence came as a surprise to Belgian journalists. When asked after the match why Diakhon was not among the players competing for a place, Leko replied: "He was not available. It is a shame, because he could have played." Leko did not wish to reveal details even after further questions.
This is not the first incident involving the young striker. Earlier this season, during a visit to La Louvière, he allegedly refused to come on as a substitute in the second half. Last season, he also had a conflict with then-sports director Dévy Rigaux over dissatisfaction with his playing time. Leko substituted him at half-time against Sint-Truidense at the start of this season, even though he had only been on the pitch for 18 minutes, and gave him advice: "Shoot and work." He added that the young footballer must stop looking for excuses and work more on himself.
Diakhon arrived from French side Reims in the summer of 2025, with the transfer valued at around €8.5 million, plus potential additional bonuses. Club Brugge considered him a major investment in the future, and his contract runs until the summer of 2029. Belgian media state that he will be fined for the latest incident, but club management does not currently intend to give up on him. After talks with club officials, he was allowed to return to training with the first team, and a long suspension is not expected. He could compete for a place in the squad again after the international break, against Mechelen.
