It is a testimony that grips the heart and brutally reminds us that the heights of professional football offer no protection against human tragedies. Emmanuel Eboué, the tireless former Arsenal full-back and darling of the Emirates Stadium, spoke at length this Friday in the podcast The Fifth House. The observation is terrible: the Ivorian lost everything along the way.
“I lost everything in England”
The divorce from his ex-wife not only broke up his home, it destroyed the fruit of an entire career. The one who started in the 2006 Champions League final against Barça saw his savings and his assets evaporate.
“I lost everything. Because of this divorce, I lost a lot. I don’t want to say how much but it was a lot. I lost everything in England because that’s where I did everything. I had three houses, a lot of cars… and I lost everything,” he revealed with disarming sincerity.
The immense void left by his children
But beyond the material, it is the absence of his three children which consumes the former defender. Emmanuel Eboué lives today in total emotional isolation. He claims to have no recent photos of them and is refused any photos by their mother.
“I miss them. Every day, I pray for them, so that one day I can see them again,” he confides.
The pain is all the more acute as his son, Mathis, follows in his footsteps. At 17, the young man has just signed with Chelsea, a proud moment to which his father was not invited: “I haven’t had contact with him for almost five years. His mother didn’t call me about his signing at Chelsea. I am very sad. »
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This is not the first time that Eboué has spoken of his distress. In the past, he had already admitted to having had suicidal thoughts. Today, the former Ivory Coast international continues to give himself up, unvarnished, like a man on the ground who is desperately looking for a bridge to reconnect with his blood.
To summarize
Emmanuel Eboué spoke about his financial and personal ruin after his divorce. The former Gunner lost his property in England and hasn’t seen his children for five years. A poignant testimony marked by the lack of contact with his son Mathis, who has just signed for Chelsea.
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