Emmanuel Eboue's Agent Hits Back After Turkish Report Claimed Ex-Arsenal Star Has HIV
By Ben Carter
Emmanuel Eboue's agent has denied reports from Goal Turkey that the player has been diagnosed with HIV, with Goal reaching out to Birinci to confirm Eboué's condition.
The agent denied the reports that had broken out in Turkish media, claiming that no official diagnosis had been made, saying: "Eboué signed for a club and, as a normal procedure, we took him for a medical to check him out. They found abnormal blood values so they didn't issue the licence and we took the decision to send him to England to have medical check-ups there.
"It's wrong to say at this point he has HIV. Turkish news reports are wrong. I made it [Eboue’s situation] clear two days ago. Even if it will be true it shouldn't be published like that."
The initial report from CNN Turkey (via Goal Turkey) suggested that Eboué was diagnosed with the disease after completing a medical with Turkish Cypriot side Türk Ocağı Limasol this summer, the former Arsenal defender having been a free agent after a spell with Sunderland ended in March 2016.
Concerns over Eboué's health were first raised on Sunday when the player's agent, Tekin Birinci, took to social media to say: "Unfortunately [it] is true that we are facing some medical problems about Eboue. He will go to England… so we will know how serious it is."
Before joining Arsenal in 2005, Eboué had spent three years in Belgium with KSK Beveren. The Ivorian moved to the Belgian city of Beveren, which borders Antwerp and the Netherlands, after working up the ranks of ASEC Mimosas, a football team based in his native Côte d’Ivoire.
Eboué went on to make 215 appearances for Arsenal during his six-year spell in north London. Scoring 10 goals and assisting a further 20, Eboué become a cult-hero with the Gunners.
The right-back went on to have a four-year stint at Turkish giants Galatasaray, winning two Süper Lig titles as well as a Ziraat Türkiye Kupası (Turkish league cup).