Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Čech has announced that he is separating from his wife Martina after 26 years together.
Čech, 43, shared the news on Instagram on Thursday with a touching black-and-white photo of Martina kissing him on the cheek.
“Martina and I are saddened to share that we are separating after 26 years together. We remain best friends and are incredibly proud of our two children,” he wrote.
The couple met as teenagers in 1999 and got married in 2003. They have two children — daughter Adela, 17, and son Damian, 16. Čech missed Adela’s birth in January 2008 because he was away with Chelsea for a League Cup semi-final match against Everton, although he did not play in the game.
Čech joined Chelsea from French club Rennes in 2004 for £7 million. He became one of the Premier League’s top goalkeepers, making 494 appearances for the club and winning numerous titles including four Premier League trophies, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
He moved to rival club Arsenal in 2015 and won another FA Cup before retiring from professional football in 2019.
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After retirement, Čech tried a new sporting challenge in ice hockey as a goalkeeper and later worked as Chelsea’s technical and performance advisor until 2022.
Fans have expressed sympathy and support for Čech and his family following the news of the separation.