Former Arsenal player has announced that he and his wife are separating after 26 years together as a couple
Image credit: Getty Images
Former Arsenal and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has announced that he and his wife, Martina, are separating after 26 years together.
The 43-year-old football icon shared the news on Instagram on Thursday, posting a black-and-white photograph of himself and Martina, in which she kisses him on the cheek. Alongside the image, Cech wrote:
“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.”
The couple, who first met in high school in 1999, married in the summer of 2003. They have two children – Adela, 17, and Damian, 16, both of whom are following in their father’s sporting footsteps.
Adela is a defender for Fulham and the Czechia U17s, making her international debut in February during the MIMA Cup against Mexico. Damian, a goalkeeper like his father, signed his first professional contract with Fulham earlier this year after previously playing for Chelsea’s youth sides. He made his debut for the Czechia U18s last year at just 15 years old.
Petr Cech and wife Martina (Image credit: Getty Images)
Speaking previously about his children’s career choices, Cech said: “I didn’t push my children into football, but they found it anyway. They just live with my name, so they have been the target of comparison since they were young.”
Cech, who famously wore a protective helmet throughout much of his career following a head injury, is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history.
He joined Chelsea from Rennes in 2004, making just under 500 appearances and winning multiple league titles, FA Cups, and the Champions League before moving to Arsenal in 2015, where he added 139 more appearances before retiring in 2019.
Despite the personal news, Cech emphasised in his post that he and Martina will remain close as they continue to co-parent their children.