Emmanuel Eboue: Sunderland to terminate player's contract following year-long Fifa ban over agent dispute

Sunderland will terminate the contract of Emmanuel Eboue after the former Arsenal defender was handed a year-long ban from football for failing to pay his former agent.

Eboue, 32, is to serve a ban that bars him from all football activity unless he pays the outstanding amount owed to his former representative, as confirmed by Fifa on 31 March.

The Ivory Coast international signed a deal with the Black Cats until the end of the season just 22 days ago, and is yet to play for Sam Allardyce's side.

The relegation-threatened outfit insist they were not made aware of Eboue's dispute with his former agent. A statement from the club 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."