Emmanuel Eboue – Sad Case. Challenging To Solve

I woke up to the story of Emmanuel Eboue’s present challenges on the Mirror Newspaper Twitter feed on Sunday morning.

It was so sad.

Talented professional at age 34 is sofa - surfing at his friend’s.

Dad no longer has access to his kids.

One time millionaire with the world at his feet loses everything.

Man losses everything to his Ex - wife.

A man approaching his middle age, suffering from mental health issues / depression.

It is very sad. And I dare say, it is something many might probably be able to relate with. Not that we’ve all made millions and now lost the money but we probably might be able to relate to a time when we were flush and are now skint.

We all also know one person or the other who might have fallen on bad times and is now surviving due to the generosity of friends and family.

We also know many families that have split for whatever reason and the split has led to one partner having to probably start all over again financially.  

What is perhaps even sadder for Eboue is that he has had a few issues in the last 15 months. His FIFA ban for a year due to unpaid agent’s fees. An aborted transfer due to ‘failed’ medical’, his mental health issues and others that might thankfully not be in the public space.

From everything you read about him, Eboue appears to be a genuinely nice guy. No doubt one who kids around a lot and one who potentially embarrasses his teammates in a very nice way.

It would appear he was never the politically correct or prim and proper type. Thierry Henry apparently told him in a nice way to comport himself at Buckingham Palace when the Arsenal Team went to visit the Queen. Did Eboue listen? Did he hell!

He apparently made the Queen laugh by requesting that Her Majesty allow him work for her by tending her famous corgis.

What a jolly man.

He also had a very vulnerable side, as he appears to have cried after he was booed at the Emirates and he told Arsenal he no longer wanted to play football again. He was so deeply affected by that occurrence that many years later, he showed his young son the video of what happened to him.

Emmanuel’s path to Arsenal followed a well-worn path. Asec Mimosas to Beveren in Belgium and then to Arsenal.  He had many good times as a player both for Arsenal and for his national team.  He definitely lived his dream and didn’t do too shabbily after he left Arsenal for Turkey. His departure was the start of his problems apparently.

Images online show many happy times with his Ex too. But sadly all of this is now in the past.

As recently as a year ago, Eboue was very grateful to his spouse for her support but the same spouse is now the butt of all criticism for Eboue’s fate.

In the Mirror interview / video, he didn’t specifically lay into his Ex. It appears his ire is mostly with the justice system in the UK. It is however unprecedented that any court in the UK will render a man homeless. There is a lot we don’t know and might never know. Is the court aware there are properties elsewhere? Turkey, Cote D’Ivoire? Is there any connection to the agents’ fees that Eboue didn’t pay?

How has the Eboue’s mental health issues been treated?  With medication or with therapy?

If with medication, is that perhaps why his last medical found “abnormal blood values”? Is that curtains for his football career?

I have seen many on Social Media appeal to Arsenal to give him a role. I hope the club can help him one way or the other. Helping him doesn’t necessarily mean giving him a job.

I suspect the club is in a sort of a difficult position here. If Eboue is not legally allowed access to his son, why will Arsenal where his son plays employ him knowing he might have access to his son through his employment?

It appears long before now, at least more than 12 months before the interview in the Mirror, not many of Eboue’s old Ivory Coast / African mates have helped. It appears only Lomano Lua Lua and his ‘confidante’ (the lady in the background during his interview) have helped out.

I wonder if this suggests there are things in the background many do not know. After all none of us can claim to know Emmanuel Eboue more than Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure.

If I had a magic wand, I will make his life better and his pains go away. But I know that there is never a silver bullet to a complicated life issue.

There are kids, family, money, health & legal issues involved here. I think the issue King Solomon in all his wisdom had to deal with was mild in comparison.