Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Eboué has spoken about the difficulties he has faced since retiring from football.
He says divorce and financial issues changed his life completely.
Speaking on The Fifth House podcast, the former Ivory Coast international reflected on his collapse after retirement.
His career included spells at Arsenal, Galatasaray and Sunderland. Eboué said the breakdown of his marriage in 2017 caused major losses.
“Because of this divorce, I lost a lot. I don’t want to say how much, but it was a lot,” the former Gunner recounted.
“I lost everything in England because that’s where I did everything in my career. I bought a lot of houses, I had three houses there, I had a lot of cars, and I lost it all.”
He explained that the impact was not only financial.
He also said he has been separated from his children. One of his sons, Mathis Eboué, has signed a professional contract with Chelsea FC.
“I am very sad because I wasn’t there when he signed for Chelsea. The mom didn’t call me. I haven’t had any contact with him for almost five years.
“Every day, I pray for my children. I pray that one day I can see them again. I don’t have any recent photos of them. When I ask their mother for them, she refuses. ”
The former Sunderland player’s post-career struggles have been widely reported over the years.
He was previously suspended by FIFA for failing to pay a former agent and endured a brief and difficult spell at Sunderland, where he left after just 22 days.
He has also previously admitted to having considered suicide in 2016 during a particularly difficult period.
Despite his circumstances, Eboué said he has chosen to remain in Ivory Coast, hoping that one day he will be reunited with his children and rebuild their relationship.
During his playing career, Eboué earned more than £20 million and was a key part of Arsenal’s squad in the mid-2000s, but he has since described himself as financially ruined following a combination of legal issues, divorce proceedings and poor financial decisions.
