The Arsenal legend Emmanuel Eboue earned millions in many years at Arsenal and Galatasary. He played in a European Cup Final when Thierry Henry’s Barcelona beat a 10-man Arsenal in 2006 and also helped the Ivory Coast to an Africa Cup of Nations Final 6 years later.
But now the star is destitute and has lost his fortune. He doesn’t even have a car and is set to lose his last property any day now. It seems that suicide is never very far from his mind, according to a report in the Mirror. “I want God to help me,” he says. “Only he can help take these thoughts from my mind.”
He lost ALL his assets which were given to his wife in a rotten divorce settlement, and although she still lives in his mansion, Eboue is living in a smaller house in Enfield, where they lived before moving to the marital home, but he is being forced to hand that over as well, which will make him homeless. He also was forced to hand over all his cars as well as his houses and is now using public transport to get around.
“My own house. I suffered to buy my house but I am now scared.
“I am not going to sell my clothes or sell what I have. I will fight until the end because it is not fair.”
He nearly got himself back on track last year when Sunderland were set to give him a year’s contract, but because of an argument with his old agent, he lost his case and was banned from playing by FIFA, which stopped him from earning one last big pay day.
“I look back and say ‘Emmanuel, you have been naive… why didn’t you think about that before?’ It is hard. “Very, very hard. The money I earned, I sent it to my wife for our children.
“In Turkey I earned eight million euros. I sent seven million back home. Whatever she tells me to sign, I sign.
“She is my wife. The problems with FIFA were because of people advising me. People who are supposed to care. But it was because of them FIFA banned me.”
“When I see Thierry I feel happy for him but ashamed of my own situation.
“When I see friends on TV that I played with or against I say to myself ‘I should still be there’. It’s hard to watch them.”
He has 3 children aged from 9 to 14 with his ex-wife, but has not seen them for six months, which is obviously another heartbreak to add to his troubles. “It hurts me a lot.” Eboue continued. “They used to call me. But now, no contact. It pains me to be alone without them.”
“Every day I wash my jeans, my clothes, everything. My hands are hard. As though I have been working on a farm.”
Eboue is now pleading for work and has called on Arsenal or the PFA to give him a chance to get himself back on his feet after his disastrous run of misfortune. “I would accept help from anywhere but if my previous club wants to help me then I would be very, very happy. Maybe I could help the young players?
“The PFA helped me when I had my problems with my agent. If they gave me a job, even if it wasn’t a big, big job.
“Maybe I’d see some of the people I played with or against and I’d feel embarrassed. But I would cope.”
It mat feel strange to feel sorry for a man that has earned 8 million euros even after he left Arsenal, but we are always to told to feel for the homeless at Christmas. Who would have thought that Eboue would have ended up like that?
Darren N
I feel sorry for Emmanuel Ebue but I still think something can be done if Arsenal really wants to help him, he played with his heart wile playing for Arsenal and was faithful to the club.
TH played for AFC in the 2006 CL Final so it wasn’t his Barcelona. He joined them 2 seasons later I believe.
I saw Eboue frequently around Enfield when he played for AFC and he was a nice man. He regularly attended church with his wife and children. I recall he had a modest car, but used to wear very loud Armani tracksuits.
I hope he gets back on his feet soon and wish him well.
Sorry, but if you earn thousands of pounds a week and blow it all on bad investments/decisions you’ve only yourself to blame.
These players are all multi-millionaires and are paid a kings ransom for doing something the ordinary working man would do for free.
Us mortals have to work hard for 40/50 years of our life and are often robbed of our pension investments.
These players earn ridiculous money and then look for sympathy when it all goes wrong.
Don’t think so, away and get a REAL job!
@STEVEN WILSON
You are heartless man, even if YOU ARE RIGHT
Steven wilson, If I were you I would be worried about my own vindictiveness to someone who clearly needs help. What you say in your second and third sentences(only) is sadly true but to be so heartless to some person who desperately needs a leg up in life is nothing short of cruel. Monstrous even! I hope for your sake you never fall on hard times and that in the years to come you develop some compasion for those in need. I ask you to think that there but for the grace of God go any of us. I cannot believe you are really as hearltless as your comment makes you appear to be.
Why should his wife get ALL his assets? :/
Firstly, I’m very sorry for Eboue’s plight and wish that some how he gets through this testing period.
His story however signifies to me the times that we live in today where the scales of balance have tilted so far that things are no longer equal but men are under attack. Feminism is an evil that does not advocate equality but superiority in which men are disenfranchised from their property and children as a first line of course . SIMP males cannot see this. Fortunately, younger males on the other hand are not choosing marriage as they can see through either their personal experience or observations of society trends that there are no advantages to hitching the knot. Men, join the growing MGTOW movement.
He is one of the arsenal players who despite being great in his own right was overshadowed by those around him… Such was the quality we had in the squad during his time… So I hope that his situation improves financislly or at the very least we offer him a some kind of paid coaching/mentor role at Arsenal to help him get out of this mess…
Terrible story, guy always been classy and adorable, true to the club and very humble, someone everyone would love to be around and love.
When you are to good, you always end up in trouble and he seemed to be that guy, always low profile or joking, humble, good guy, well educated at home.
The wife ripped him off, probably cheating on him as she did his life and earnings… He was nice and never stopped being nice, so she took it all til his last penny…
Hope we can and sure club, Henry, Wenger and many will help him as we would if we had their money….Give a job with the kids, he would be great for them…
Hope and sure , it would be solve, thanks to let us know mate, he has our support…
Peace
African players once they get to Europe most of them don’t think of investment they only think of women who end up disappoint them so it’s high time they take care.
What study back up what you are saying ?
ARE THESE FOLLOWING RUINED PLAYERS AFRICANS????
Kenny Sansom
George Best
Alan Hudson
Paul Gascoigne
Christian Vieri
Paul Merson
John Arne Riise.
Chris Sutton
Michael McIndoe
Keith Gillespie
Michel Chopra
Dominic Matteo
And many morrrrre !!!!
What a stupid, untrue and frankly racist and disgusting comment . You are clearly a dinosaur and should be ashamed of what you wrote. It is a disgrace!
@mogunna
You are the best
‘his wife still lives in his mansion’
That statement alone shows why the world is so much rotten.
I wonder what is the response of feminists to such things.
A man that built himself through struggles and tough life now ends up having to give all his fortune to his devil and liar of a wife who didn’t feel the pain he felt for his achievements. Yet the people who raised him and himself have nothing to gain.
This world needs to change
Surely he could get a job as a football coach in a heart-beat
I wish him all the best. Hope he finds a way forward.
Did he every get a testimonial- that’s what they are for?
Such a sad story, and I hope he gets back on his feet asap.
I always find it amazing how so many sports stars earn ridiculous money throughout their career, yet somehow blow it all. The amount Mike Tyson spent to go bankrupt was insane! I think these stars need better guidance when they’re young, because they’re earning so much at such a young age, and they don’t know how to properly handle it.
Completely right and many , even most players come from financially poor or moderate backgrounds, knowing little about life other than football , which they have concentrated on, often to the exclusion of academic education. Or financial education at even basic level. Some , mostly from abroad, have desperate poverty of everything but their God given talent and are easy prey for the sharks who attach themselves to top sportspeople. Not only money mad agents either but sometimes coaches and manager who will use their power to hold back the players progress by playing him when slightly injured and not at his optimum best and by playing young, naive but anxious to please players in the wrong position. Ring any bells, Wenger with AM-N and NELSON? Though,in general, Wenger is a good hearted and honest father figure with his young players. But not perfect clearly. The likes of Chelsea esp, who treat their young players with ruthless disdain by loaning them here there and everywhere-WITHOUT ANY CARE FOR THEIR PERSONAL FUTURE – just to make still more money for the petro dollars run club is the very worst type of predator and totally classless. But hey, that is hardly news to us on here is it! But over and above all these factors the biggest danger in life with huge , obscene money thrown willy- nilly at naive and impressionable young footballers, is that it warps and distorts their life values,(bling, flashy cars, silly haircuts in look at me style(eh Pogba? ) without which none of us are fully mature and well rounded human beings. Obscene and barely earned wages is the enemy of mankind, let alone merely footballers. Let us all be completely honest with ourselves and realise the way top level world football is organised and run is deeply unhealthy to the normal lifeskills and learning development of a huge swathe of young people, both on and off the pitch. I stress top level ONLY. Where the huge poisonously damaging money lies!
I feel sorry for Emmanuel Ebue, I hope he get back on his feet soon.
Surely he could be employed by Arsenal somewhere, a club representative or even escorting tours at the Emirates as a minimum.
OT a little but yes Darren, as mentioned by Enfield Gunner above, TH14 played for us not Barca.
My heart feels for him but other black and ethnic minority players should learn from Eboue’s story. Majority of them end up marrying white women who do not really care about them except their money. They have wealth suddenly turn their back on their own people. How many white footballers marry black or ethnic minority? Look what happens to Brunno or Henry? Wake up brothers and smell the coffin.
I don’t tjjnknits about marrying a white person but marrying someone who doesn’t love you. Anyway don’t crucify his former wife, I guess she has her side of the story and then there is the truth!
As none of us know the ins and outs of his personal life, beyond the few comments in this article , it would be wrong to comment on who or what brought him to this low ebb. His real sadness is that he is not , shall I tactfully say, not the sharpest tool in the box, to put it mildly. This is my strong impression gained through his time at Arsenal and is an observation but NOT a criticism. I feel sure he is a decent man at heart and hope to goodness he finds the help he needs. This sad episode shows though how big an advantage having a decent IQ is in lifes journey. Sadly , his plight his not uncommon in those who have played top level sport in general, let alone football. We see evidence of either intelligence or lack of it constantly in many players who we come to know well through their stay with Arsenal (or whatever club we all support). Sometimes pure bad luck and tragedy overtakes almost all of us at times in life . But if you have a degree of intelligence it very much helps to put ones woes into perspective and enable you to face up to them , in practical ways. I fervently hope Eboue manages to get the practical and probably emotional help he clearly needs and I wish him every good wish for his future. I am sure virtually all on here will wish him the same. He was certainly a wholehearted player; sometimes rash and emotional on the pitch but a real tryer and Gooners will not forget him.
Job’s story is the best in this kind of scenario. God will guide.
There’s still treasure in Emmanuel Eboue. Ignore the bad media and news about him. If he was unwise I’m sure he’s learnt his lessons now. Let him mentor the Academy boys. He has a lot to give though he has lost a lot more. AFC cherishes family
Poor Eboue.His ex wife must be a lawyer or law officer. She created deadly agreement before married without Eboue realized it. It’s really shock to see how divorce could brought such damage. How did western law produced such unfair situation?
It would be like a fairy tail if AFC hired him and trained him to help youngsters to cope with the increase of wealth, he has been there and done it and lost it… While also being one of the unsung heros for us.
Kids will listen to the guy and he would be able to care for the kids like he wished he had…
I have been sick of our kids getting a payrise then form dropping.
Maybe if those kids could see someone day in and day out who had lost it all.. maybe they would keep fighting for their future and not ease up once they get a decent paycheck.
How better could AFC look after someone who gave their all for us when with us? Don’t give a charity job, let Eboue earn it and feel pride in himself by training him to make sure our kids understand that life can change very quickly.
I don’t understand how his wife can get everything and leave him with nothing, there is more to this story than meets the eye.What judge would give everything to his wife and leave him destitute?.Nope, sorry, there is more to this story.
In the old days the Arsenal board would have helped him like in the case of Ray Kennedy and others but times have changed, now that we have money orientated owners, sadly I won’t be holding my breath
So right Kenny. The present owner and board have no time for any thing or anyone who does not save them money or make them money. I do not include Wenger in this criticism. Though I want him out yesterday, -or better still , ten years ago – I recognise that at heart he is a decent and caring person. An awful manager but a decent man.
I agree with you Jon 100% and also what you say about Wenger
Yes athletes……….including footballers make insane money……but some end up poor due to several reasons………….I hope we also remember that these are young men and women……..developmentally may not be matured for that kind of fame and wealth…………it is the worst time for a person to be rich………….