Post Published on August 25, 2024 by Anthony Ekata
Look before you marry so you don’t lose everything after you marry!
Here are examples of popular soccer stars who lost almost everything to their wives in divorce or separation settlements.
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Emmanuel Eboue
Ivorian soccer star, Emmanuel Eboué, spent most of his career, from 2005 to 2011, with Arsenal of the English Premier League, playing 214 games, including the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final.
He lost heavily in a matrimonial battle with his former Belgian wife, Aurélie, whom he married before joining Arsenal and with whom he had three children.
Eboué told Sunday Mirror that the divorce drove him to the brink of suicide after his wife, Aurelie, allegedly took everything he had, including their three children, mansion, cars and their first house in North London, where he was ordered by a court to surrender ownership.
However, he later told CitiSPORTS that he didn’t lose everything as he still had property in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, and he didn’t regret his wife taking all his UK property.
“In court, she benefited from all the property I had in England. The two houses and cars I owned. I suffered cruelly thinking about it. But looking back, I understood that she was the mother of my three children and that sooner or later, the assets would go to the children,” he said.
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Thierry Henry
Former Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry is considered one of the best strikers of all time, one of the best players to play in the Premier League, and Arsenal FC’s greatest player of all time.
After amassing 123 appearances and 51 goals, Henry retired from international football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
However, he failed to score a winning goal in his matrimonial game with English model Nicole Merry, real name Claire, whom he married on 5 July 2003.
The marriage crashed after 4 years and Claire was granted a speedy divorce on the grounds of Henry’s ‘unreasonable behaviour” after he was linked to make-up artist Sadie Hewlett.
Claire claimed she found text messages to another woman on the French star’s mobile phone when he was a player in Barcelona. That indiscretion cost Henry a whopping 8 million British pounds in a 2007 divorce settlement.
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Ryan Giggs OBE
Ryan Giggs is one of the famous footballers who lost huge money after their divorce. The former Manchester United star and later Wales Manager is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Giggs played his entire professional career for Manchester United and briefly served as the club’s interim manager.
Giggs married his long-time partner, Stacey Cooke, in a private ceremony on 7 September 2007 and together they had two children.
Stacey stood by him, even after he had an affair with his brother’s wife.
However, the last straw that broke the marriage’s back was after Mrs Giggs heard her husband had flirted with waitresses at a restaurant he owns close to his £6 million mansion in Worsley, near Manchester.
She instituted divorce proceedings in 2016. The marriage was dissolved in only 43 seconds, leading to the loss of half his £40 million fortune to Stacey.
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Louis Saha
Louis Saha, a former French football sensation who also starred for Fulham, Manchester United, and Everton, experienced a significant downturn in his finances after his divorce from Aurelie Saha.
At the peak of his career, Louis Saha was one of the wealthiest footballers in France.
After losing half of his fortune to Aurelie, he took on the role of educating players on safeguarding their hard-earned wealth to prevent others from becoming footballers who lost almost everything after divorce.
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Tendai Ndoro
Tendai Ndoro’s divorce led to the loss of everything he owned, primarily because he had signed his properties in his wife’s name.
The former Zimbabwean international and Orlando Pirates striker lost his house and a fleet of luxury cars to his South African wife, Thando Maseko, after their divorce.
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Wes Brown
Wes Brown, who once earned an impressive £50,000 per week during his time at Manchester United, declared bankruptcy just a year after his divorce.
Despite his successful career, Wes Brown’s divorce left him in dire financial straits, emphasizing the importance of financial planning for footballers facing such life-changing events, and highlighting the struggles faced by footballers who lost almost everything after divorce.
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David James MBE
David James, the former England goalkeeper, experienced a substantial loss of wealth after his divorce.
His financial situation became so dire that he had to auction off his belongings to make ends meet.
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Jamie Redknapp
Former Liverpool and England midfielder Jamie Redknapp saw his estimated £15 million fortune virtually reduced to nothing after his marriage hit the rocks.
His ex-wife received half of his wealth as a divorce settlement.
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Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole realised his career peak and made his name while at Arsenal during the London side’s most successful season, 2003-2004. This was when Arsene Wenger and his men won the Premier League title unbeaten.
The former Chelsea and England defender reportedly paid his ex-wife Cheryl Cole a settlement of £3.5 million ($4.9 million) following their 2010 divorce. The couple had been married for four years and had no children together.
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Steven Gerard
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerard reportedly paid his ex-wife Alex Curran a £2 million ($2.8 million) settlement following their divorce in 2015. The couple had been married for eight years and had three children together.
See the divorcee soccer stars with their wives in this VIDEO.
- Additional insights from Pulse Sports
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