Unlike Achraf Hakimi? How ex-Arsenal footballer Emanuel Eboue’s ex-wife took all his wealth
For the past few days, Moroccan national team football star Achraf Hakimi has been trending globally over unverified reports that he hid 80% of his wealth in his mother’s name to prevent his estranged wife from getting anything from him. In the claims, it was said that the Paris Saint Germain player received his salary into bank accounts held by his mother and that all his cars, vehicles, clothes and jewelry were in his mother’s name. Apparently, if he wanted something, he asked his mother to buy it for him in her name as well.
The rumors arose amid an ongoing divorce case in which his estranged wife, Spanish actress Hiba Abouk, filed for divorce after being separated for months. During the separation period, Hakimi was accused of raping a woman at his Paris home, a claim he denied citing extortion. Ms Abouk, who shares two sons with Hakimi, allegedly wanted half his wealth but were stunned in court when they discovered Hakimi owned ‘nothing’.
As these unverified reports continue gaining momentum, the world was once again reminded of the plight of former Arsenal football star Emmanuel Eboue, an Ivorian national, whose ex-wife took all his wealth obtained from his international football career and their children, leaving him on the streets struggling. Many compared the two footballers, claiming that one was wise while the other did not know how to be sly and protect what he had worked for.
According to Goal.com, the former Arsenal defender and Aurelie Bertrand, engaged in a bitter divorce in 2017 following a family issue. He lost the court case after the judge awarded his ex-wife all his properties he owned in the United Kingdom and custody of their three children. The properties included two houses, 8 million euros (more than Sh 1 billion in 2017’s foreign exchange) he had in savings and his cars . He later said he could no longer afford to pay for a lawyer to fight for him as the eviction date grew near to when he was ordered to hand over his properties to his ex-wife.
“I am in the house but I am scared. Because I don’t know what time the police will come. Sometimes I shut off the lights because I don’t want people to know that I am inside. I put everything behind the door. My own house. I suffered to buy my house but I am now scared. I am not going to sell my clothes or sell what I have. I will fight until the end because it is not fair,” said Eboue in 2017 according to the Independent, a UK publication.
In the end, he told media he contemplated suicide when he found himself couch surfing in family and friends’ homes; and hand washing his clothes because he couldn’t afford a washing machine. He also battled shame as he watched his team mates, including Thiery Henry, flourishing while he was bogged down with suicidal thoughts, depression after the death of his grandfather who raised him and the messy divorce that took everything from him.
However, he later revealed that he had only lost all his wealth in England but had properties in Ivory Coast and Ghana. He returned to Africa after the divorce to pick himself up. He later ended up marry his childhood sweetheart, Stephanie Boede in 2019, and opened a football academy after announcing his retirement from football in October 2022.
His football career spans several teams. They include KSK Beveren (2002-2004), Cote d’Ivoire (2004-2013), Arsenal (2004-2011), Galatasaray (2012-2014) and Sunderland (2015-2016).