Sunderland have sacked Emmanuel Eboue after he was banned from football for one year for failing to settle a debt with his former agent.
FIFA announced on Thursday morning that the 32-year-old former Arsenal star will be barred from all football activity until he pays the outstanding amount to Sebastien Boisseau.
Sunderland responded by immediately terminating Eboue’s contract, despite him having yet to appear for the club after joining as a free agent on March 9.
A club statement read: ‘Sunderland AFC has 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.’
The Ivory Coast international was released by Galatasaray in the summer having joined the Turkish club from Arsenal for £3million in 2011.
He signed for Sam Allardyce’s side after a successful trial period but was still to make his debut.
The FIFA statement read: ‘Emmanuel Eboue, who has represented Cote d’Ivoire and is currently registered for the English club Sunderland A.F.C., is to serve a ban on taking part in any football-related activity that will last for one year or until he pays the total outstanding amount owed to his former agent if this occurs before the one-year ban has elapsed.
‘The origins of the case involve a decision passed by the single judge of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee in July 2013 regarding a contractual dispute according to which Mr Eboue was ordered to pay the players’ agent Mr Sebastien Boisseau an amount owed to him based on the representation agreement between the two parties. The decision was taken on the basis of the FIFA Players’ Agents Regulations in force at the time (2008 edition).On 9 September 2014, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to sanction Mr Eboue with a fine of CHF 30,000 (£21,650) 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.
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 Eboué.
‘Mr 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