"It could actually have been fatal": Patrick Lefevere opens up after a life-threatening health scare

Patrick Lefevere has spoken publicly for the first time about the serious health crisis that saw him hospitalised for 24 days last November. The 70-year-old Belgian, who stepped down as CEO of Soudal - Quick-Step at the end of 2024, revealed that doctors discovered a large liver abscess following a fall at home.

“I came in with broken ribs after falling down the stairs, but they also diagnosed pneumonia,” Lefevere explained in an interview to HLN. Further examinations uncovered an abscess of 10 to 12 centimetres on his liver, from which doctors drained “about 400 cc, like a filled bottle of cola, of blood.”

The seriousness of the situation quickly became clear. “It could actually have been fatal when I read everything afterwards,” Lefevere said. “I also suffered blood poisoning twice. Such a septic attack is life-threatening.”

Doctors were unable to determine how the abscess developed. “It was on my liver, but it had nothing to do with my liver,” Lefevere clarified. “They did a biopsy and it was perfectly healthy. They don’t know how the abscess got there. It was a bacterium, and it simply needed time to heal.”

The consequences of his extended stay in hospital were significant. Lefevere lost around 10 kilograms, is undergoing daily physiotherapy, and still struggles with mobility. “I’m not allowed to drink alcohol for six months because of the blood thinners and antibiotics,” he added.

He also confirmed that the episode was deliberately kept out of the public eye. “It stayed out of the media for a long time, exactly as I had asked. For that, my sincere thanks. You don’t gain anything by making it public.”

Now recovering, Lefevere admits his retirement has not started as he had imagined. “First of all, I need rest. A trip now and then,” he said. “I’m allowed to fly, but I have to inject myself to reduce the risk of thrombosis. It will be life at a slower pace.”

Despite the setback, he remains optimistic about the future. “I’m looking forward to quietly becoming the old me again in 2026.”