Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Čech has revealed that he and his wife, Martina, are separating after 26 years together.
The 43-year-old football legend shared the news on Instagram with a heartfelt message and 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,” Čech wrote. “We remain best friends and immensely proud of our two children.”
The couple met as teenagers in 1999 and tied the knot in June 2003. They share two children — Adela, 17, and Damian, 16. Adela plays as a defender for the Czech Republic’s Under-17 national team, while Damian recently signed his first professional contract with Fulham as a goalkeeper, following in his father’s footsteps.
Read Also: Arsenal complete £48.5m signing of Madueke from Chelsea
Čech famously missed Adela’s birth in January 2008 while away with Chelsea for a League Cup semi-final against Everton — a match in which he did not play.
During his illustrious football career, Čech joined Chelsea from Rennes in 2004 for £7 million, making 494 appearances and winning multiple 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, Čech 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.
