5 footballers who went broke after divorce

Football is one of the most lucrative and best-paid jobs in the world with its top players earning millions of dollars annually.

Despite the wealth footballers acquired in their careers, some go bankrupt a few years after retiring from the game.

While some go bankrupt because of reckless spending or failed investments, others also loses their wealth due to failed marriages.

The expensive nature of divorce these days has bankrupted some former footballers and GhanaWeb highlights five of such footballers.

Wes Brown

The former English international who earned £200,000 during his days at Manchester United defender was declared bankrupt a year after divorcing his wife, Leanne Wassell.

According to the UK newspaper The Mirror, HM Revenue and Customs filed a bankruptcy petition against the 43-year-old on February 27, 2023.

The report further indicates that High Court endorsed the petition on April 12 before it was later published by The Gazette.

The divorce brought an end to their 14-year marriage.

Emmanuel Eboue

The divorce of the former Ivorian international is one of the most popular divorce stories and has been used by many football fans who see African footballers going out with white ladies.

Eboue had a successful football career after featuring in the Premier League for Arsenal (2004-2011) where he won two league cups and three Turkish Super Ligs while playing for Galatasaray.

The ASEC Mimosas Academy graduate at the time of retirement 2016 was reportedly worth £20 million but he lost all his fortune during his divorce with ex-wife, Aurelie who was his financial manager.

Emmanuel Eboue revealed in 2018 that he had to go to his local pub to watch Arsenal as he could not afford his subscription on Sky.

Chris Sutton

Chris Sutton is a former English striker who is best remembered for his time at Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers, and Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.

The 50-year-old who also played a season at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea was declared bankrupt after his divorce from his wife, Samantha in 2009.

Chris Sutton's divorce to Samantha reportedly cost Sutton over £6 million, leading to financial difficulties.

David James

The next is former Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, and Manchester City's goalkeeper, David James.

David James played professional football for over 20 years and he made over $20 million from the game and also working as a part-time Modell for Armani.

In 2005, James was declared bankrupt after a divorce from his wife Tanya in 2005 and was forced to sell hundreds of items of football memorabilia collected during his career, including signed shirts, shorts and match balls at the time.

Eric Djemba-Djemba

41-year-old Eric Djemba-Djemba played in the Premier League for Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Burnley.

The Cameroonian international made the headlines back in the day when he was signed by Sir Alex Fergusson as a replacement for the aging Roy Keane in the summer of 2003.

He made a fortune just like the other footballers who played at the highest level but in 2016, he was declared bankrupt after his divorce from his wife, Rachel.

The divorce reportedly cost Djemba-Djemba over £1 million, leading to financial difficulties.

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