Petr Čech, a former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper, and his wife, Martina, have announced their separation after 26 years of marriage.
The 43-year-old football great made the emotional revelation on Instagram, alongside a black-and-white photo of Martina kissing him on the cheek.
On Thursday, Čech posted, “Martina and I are saddened to share that we are separating after 26 years together.” We remain best friends and are extremely proud of our two children.” The pair, who met as teenagers in 1999 and married in 2003, has a daughter, Adela, 17, and a son, Damian, 16.
Čech missed Adela’s birth in January 2008 while away with Chelsea for a League Cup semi-final against Everton, despite not playing.
Čech joined Chelsea from Rennes in 2004 for £7 million, making 494 appearances and winning numerous trophies, including four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
He moved to Arsenal in 2015, adding another FA Cup before retiring in 2019.
Since hanging up his boots, he has ventured into ice hockey as a goalkeeper and served as Chelsea’s technical and performance advisor until 2022, when he left the role following Todd Boehly’s takeover of the club.
