Emmanuel Eboué

Emmanuel Eboué

Eboué playing for Galatasaray in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Emmanuel Eboué
Date of birth	(1983-06-04) 4 June 1983
Place of birth	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height
Position(s)	Right back
Team information
Current team	Free Agent
Youth career
2000–2001	ASEC Mimosas
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2002	ASEC Mimosas	25	(3)
2002–2005	Beveren	70	(4)
2005–2011	Arsenal	132	(5)
2011–2015	Galatasaray	77	(4)
International career‡
2004–2013	Côte d'Ivoire	79	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 April 2014 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 January 2013

Emmanuel Eboué (born 4 June 1983) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a right back. He is currently unattached.

A natural right back, he is also able to play at right wing. First representing his national team in 2004, he played for his stint at Arsenal between 2005 and 2011.

Club career

Early career

Born in Abidjan, Eboué began his football career in the ASEC Mimosas youth academy. In 2002, Eboué moved to ASEC's Belgian parent club KSK Beveren and spent three seasons there. His impressive performances in Belgium caught the eye of parent club Arsenal's scouts.

Arsenal

2004–05 season

Eboué's debut came only days after signing from Beveren, in the FA Cup against Stoke City. Although he was not initially a first team regular, making just one FA Premier League appearance, as a substitute, in 2004–05, Eboué was regularly in Arsenal's reserve team.

2005–06 season

In 2005–06, Eboué made his breakthrough into the Arsenal side. He started the season mainly as a reserve player, though he scored his first goal for Arsenal in the club's 3–0 League Cup third round victory at Sunderland on 25 October 2005. Despite leaving for the African Cup of Nations in January 2006, he was immediately sent into action on his return; he made his first career Premiership start at right back against Liverpool at Anfield, replacing the injured Lauren. With Lauren injured for the rest of the season, Eboué unexpectedly held his place for the remainder of Arsenal's 2005–06 campaign.

Emmanuel playing for Arsenal in August 2007

Eboué's run in the Arsenal side included matches in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase against Real Madrid, Juventus, and Villarreal. Impressed with the way the Ivorian adapted to the increased pace of the Premiership and pressure of the Champions League, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger even compared Eboué to the legendary Brazilian winger Garrincha after an energetic performance in the 1 April 2006 game against Aston Villa. Eboué continued in the starting line-up for Arsenal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final at the Stade de France.

2006–07 season

Eboué started the 2006–07, and was named the Arsenal Player of the Month for September. However, he was injured in an international and spent the whole of the month of October out with injury. He made his first team return as a substitute in the 1–0 defeat by West Ham United on 5 November, and started the League Cup win over Everton later that same week. He scored his second Arsenal goal in their 3–1 Champions League victory over Hamburg on 21 November 2006. Persistent ankle problems have plagued him throughout December 2006 and January 2007. He attempted to make many comebacks, mostly against high profile teams such as Liverpool, in the FA third Round and Manchester United, but he was unable to come through them unscathed. Wenger decided to wait until there was no chance that there would be a recurrence of the injury. He came off the bench for Armand Traoré in the League Cup final against Chelsea. He started the match against Blackburn Rovers in the FA cup 5th Round Replay, only for his ankle to get injured again from a studs-up challenge from Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen, which the referee also missed. In May 2007, Eboué signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.

2007–08 season

Eboué in action for the Gunners

From the start of the 2007–08 season, Arsène Wenger stated his intention to move Eboué into a role on the right wing, following the signing of Bacary Sagna. On 20 September 2008, Eboué scored his first Premier League goal against Bolton Wanderers in an away match, which Arsenal won 3–1.

2008–09 season

During the 2008–09 season, he was frequently criticised by Arsenal fans after some less-than-satisfactory performances. In December 2008 against Wigan Athletic at the Emirates, Eboué played particularly poorly after being brought on as a substitute. He made many unforced errors to the point where a small section of Arsenal fans began to boo him. Eboué continued to lose possession and in the second half, Eboué tackled his own player and gifted possession to Wigan. He was subsequently substituted. This dramatic dip in form also coincided with other problems in the team, notably the absence of teammate Theo Walcott (who also played regularly on the right wing) through injury. Further appearances were confined to playing as a wing-forward or right back. On 8 March 2009, he scored the third goal against Burnley in the FA Cup fifth round match. On 14 March, he scored two goals (one a penalty) in the Gunners' 4–0 hammering of Blackburn Rovers.

2009–10 season

He scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season for Arsenal against Wigan Athletic at the Emirates Stadium, on 19 September 2009, the fixture in which he was booed by a small section of his own fans in the previous season. On 9 March 2010, in the second leg of Arsenal's Champions League tie at home to Porto, Eboué scored the fourth goal in a 5–0 win having come on as a substitute. In March 2010, Eboué dismissed speculation he would leave Arsenal and pledged to see out the remainder of his contract.

2010–11 season

At the end of 2010, late October or November, Eboué signed another long-term contract with Arsenal. In April 2011, Eboué scored for Arsenal in their 3–1 win over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, with a powerful strike from his weaker left foot, which helped keep Arsenal's title hopes alive. In the following match against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, however, he conceded a last-minute penalty by pushing Lucas Leiva in the back which denied the club victory and left them six points adrift of the leaders. On 8 May 2011, he was an unused substitute in the game against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium in a 3–1 defeat.

At the end of the 2010–11 season, Eboué made 27 appearances in total and scored once in all competitions.

Eboué is regarded to be something of a cult figure at Arsenal, and an ironic chant directed at opposition fans emerged, saying "you've only come to see Eboué."

Galatasaray

2011–12 season

Eboué playing for Galatasaray in 2012

At the start of the 2011–12 season, Eboué lost his squad number to new signing Gervinho, who was given the number 27 shirt upon his arrival, which left Eboué's future at the club unclear. On 16 August 2011, Eboué completed a move to Turkish club Galatasaray for €3.5 million in 4-year contract (worth €2.35M a season plus bonus) Following his move to Galatasaray, Eboué revealed that manager Arsène Wenger told him he would have few first-team opportunities and to listen to interest to join the Turkish side. Eboué also revealed that Fatih Terim has made his life easier at Galatasaray and has been an inspirational figure for Eboué. On 11 September 2011, Eboué made his debut in the clubs shirt in a 2–0 loss against İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi.

In the match between Galatasaray and Beşiktaş which was 0–0, Eboue was pelted with missiles from the crowd and barely able to come within 10 feet of the touchline without an object being hurled at him from the crowd. On 3 December 2011, Eboué scored his first goal against Gençlerbirligi, which was only goal in the game in a 1–0. The next game on 7 December 2011, he scored his second goal in a derby win against Fenerbahçe, which Galatasaray won the match 3–1. On 28 April 2012, he scored his third goal against Trabzonspor, Galatasaray won the match 4–2. He played 31 matches in the league as he secured his first league title of his professional career.

2012–13 season

In Eboué's second season at the club, the Ivorian helped the team claim victory in the Turkish Super Cup on 12 August 2012, playing the whole game in an entertaining 3–2 victory over rivals Fenerbahçe at the Kazım Karabekir Stadium in Erzurum. Eboué was part of the squad that surprising fell 2–1 to Turkish Second Division side 1461 Trabzon in December 2012.

During the 2013 winter transfer window, he was joined by national teammate Didier Drogba on 28 January 2013. On 9 April 2013, in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Spanish giants Real Madrid, Eboué scored from long range as Gala secured a 3–2 win, falling 5–3 on aggregate. Eboué helped Galatasaray defend their league title, playing the full ninety minutes in their 4–2 defeat of Sivasspor on 5 May, a win which secured the club's 19th Turkish Super Lig title. In Gala's following match on 12 May, the Kıtalar Arası Derbi against Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray lost the match 2–1 but Eboué and Drogba were subject to racist abuse from Fenerbahçe fans during the game but no punishment was handed down on the club or its supporters.

2014–15 season

Eboue was left out of the main squad by Prandelli at the beginning of 2014-15 season. As a consequence he played with the U21 team the whole season. As Galatasaray's number of foreign player limit was full, he could not return to the team after Prandelli has left At the end of the season, his contract was not renewed and Eboue has left the club.

International career

Eboué debuted for Côte d'Ivoire in 2004 and has generally been a regular fixture in the defence operating at right-back for the Elephants, along with former teammate Kolo Touré. On 18 November 2009, Eboué scored his first goal for Côte d'Ivoire in a 2–2 draw against Germany. He was named in Sven Goran Eriksson's Côte d'Ivoire squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Career statistics

Club

As of 15 April 2015.

• Allocation of appearances in the various seasons before his Arsenal career is uncertain, and therefore applied to the League section for each club, as per time he spent there.

Club	Season	League		Cup*		Contintental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
ASEC Mimosas	2001–02	25	3	—		—		25	3
	Total	25	3	—		—		25	3
Beveren	2002–03	23	0			—		23	0
	2003–04	30	2			—		30	2
	2004–05	17	2			7	0	24	2
	Total	70	4			7	0	77	4
Arsenal	2004–05	1	0	3	0	0	0	4	0
	2005–06	18	0	3	1	11	0	32	1
	2006–07	24	0	5	0	6	1	35	1
	2007–08	23	0	3	0	10	0	36	0
	2008–09	28	3	5	1	11	0	44	4
	2009–10	25	1	1	0	10	2	36	3
	2010–11	13	1	8	0	6	0	27	1
	Total	132	5	28	2	54	3	214	10
Galatasaray	2011–12	31	3	2	0	—		33	3
	2012–13	28	0	1	0	10	1	39	1
	2013–14	18	1	3	0	8	0	30	1
	2014–15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	77	4	6	0	18	1	102	5
Career total		298	16	34	2	79	2	411	22

International

National team	Season	Apps	Goals
Côte d'Ivoire	2004	5	0
	2005	4	0
	2006	12	0
	2007	4	0
	2008	16	0
	2009	10	1
	2010	14	1
	2011	6	0
	2012	7	1
	2013	5	0
Total		79	3

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	18 November 2009	Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Germany	1–1	2–2	Friendly
2.	4 September 2010	Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire	Rwanda	3–0	3–0	2012 African Cup of Nations qualification
3.	30 January 2012	Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea	Angola	1–0	2–0	2012 African Cup of Nations

Honours

Arsenal

• UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2005–06
• Football League Cup Runner-up: 2006–07, 2010–11

Galatasaray

• Süper Lig : 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
• Türkiye Kupası : 2013–14, 2014–15
• TFF Süper Kupa : 2012, 2013, 2015

Personal life

Eboué is a Christian. Before joining Arsenal, Eboué married his Belgian girlfriend. He has three children, who joined him on a lap of honour at the end of the 2009–10 season.

External links

• Emmanuel Eboué career statistics at Soccerbase