Emmanuel Eboue: banned by FIFA for 12 months

Sunderland moved quickly today to terminate the short term contract between them and former  Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue following a 12 month ban by  FIFA due to a contractual dispute with a former agent.

The 32-year-old recently signed a short-term contract with Premier League club Sunderland after being released by Turkish giants Galatasaray.

However, FIFA has now ruled that the Ivorian will not be allowed to play for his new team until he pays money owed to a former agent, Sebastien Boisseau.

In a statement, Sunderland AFC  said they have been advised by the Football Association  “that Emmanuel Eboue has been placed under an immediate suspension from football and all football-related activity for a period of one year, by FIFA.

“The suspension relates to a monetary dispute between the player and a former agent, which precedes his time at Sunderland AFC and was not something that the club was made aware of by the player.

“Eboue signed a contract with Sunderland AFC until the end of the current season and the club has therefore given notice of its intention to terminate the contract. The player has two weeks in which to appeal this decision”.

Eboue’s trouble with FIFA began on 9 September 2014, when  the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to sanction him with a fine of CHF 30 000 for failing to comply with the decision of the single judge of the Players’ Status Committee on the basis of art. 64 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code,” FIFA announced via a statement on their official website.

The player was also granted a final period of grace of 120 days to settle his debt, upon failure of which the creditor — Mr Boisseau — would be entitled to request that a one-year ban on taking part in any football-related activity be imposed on Mr Eboue.

Eboue appealed to CAS against the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision, but the appeal was dismissed and the decision of the Disciplinary Committee confirmed in full.

“Following the expiry of the final deadline granted, Mr Boisseau requested that the one-year ban be imposed on Mr Eboue in accordance with the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The relevant parties, including The Football Association which has been requested to implement said ban, have been informed accordingly,” FIFA said.

Until the contract termination,  Eboue was  yet to make his Sunderland debut since joining the club early in March.