With the team, he reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in 1978 against Liverpool in Wembley Stadium in London where they were defeated with a single goal.

In his first spell as coach of the Belgium national team he led them to the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals after a two-legged win against the Republic of Ireland in the qualifying play-off.

He was sacked from his role as federal coach after a disappointing third place finish in the World Cup group stage after failing to qualify Belgium for the second round after drawing with Netherlands, Mexico and South Korea.

After his African stage, he returned to the Royal Excelsior Mouscron, then he signed for KAA Gent for three years and again he would take the bench of KSC Lokeren.

[2] On 13 May 2012, it was announced that Leekens would coach Club Brugge for a second time,[3] but he was fired a few months later after a series of successive defeats.

[4] On 27 March 2014, Leekens signed a two-year contract with the Tunisian Football Federation to coach the Carthage Eagles.

He managed to qualify the team to the quarter-finals of the Arab Championship with African champions Wydad Casablanca before leaving on 26 November for unconvincing results in the Tunisian League.