Sunderland defender Emmanuel Eboue has been handed a one-year ban from all football-related activity over his failure to pay former agent Sebastien Boisseau.
The 32-year-old had previously been ordered by the single judge of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee to pay Boisseau an amount owed to him, but opted to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Eboue's appeal has since been dismissed, though, and the decision of the Disciplinary Committee confirmed in full, meaning he now faces one year on the sidelines unless he pays the total outstanding amount owed to Boisseau.
"Emmanuel Eboue, who has represented Cote d'Ivoire and is currently registered for the English club Sunderland, 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," an official statement from FIFA reads.
"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 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 Eboue.
"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."
Eboue recently signed a contract until the end of the season with Sunderland. He previously played for Galatasaray, Arsenal, Beveren and ASEC Mimosas.
