Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has announced that he and his wife, Martina, are separating after 26 years together.
The 43-year-old shared the news on Instagram with a black-and-white photo of Martina kissing him on the cheek.
“Martina and myself are sad to announce that we are separating after 26 years together. We remain best friends and immensely proud of our two children,” he wrote.
The couple met in 1999 and got married in June 2003. They have two children — Adela, 17, who plays for the Czech Republic U-17 women’s team, and Damian, 16, who recently signed his first professional contract as a goalkeeper with Fulham.
Čech joined Chelsea from Rennes in 2004 for £7 million, making 494 appearances and winning major trophies including four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and the 2012 UEFA Champions League. He moved to Arsenal in 2015, winning another FA Cup before retiring in 2019.
After retiring, Čech played ice hockey as a goalkeeper and worked as Chelsea’s technical and performance advisor until 2022.
