PETR CECH has announced that he has split from his wife after 26 years together.
The Chelsea legend revealed the heartbreaking news on social media with a short statement.
Cech, 43, had been with Martina since he was a teenager and throughout his playing career.
The couple had two children together, Damian Cech, 16, and Adela Cechova, 17.
The retired goalkeeper posted on Instagram, confirming that they had decided to end their marriage.
However, he did suggest that there is no bad blood as they remain “best friends”.
He shared a black and white picture of himself with Martina giving him a kiss on the cheek.
He 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.”
They met in 1999 and tied the knot in June 2003.
Adela and Damian are following in the footballing footsteps of Cech.
Adela is a defender and plays for the Czech Republic’s Under-17 national team.
Cech actually missed her birth in January 2008, because he was with the Chelsea team for a League Cup semi-final tie against Everton.
The Blues won the game 2-1 but manager Avram Grant opted for Hilario and did not include Cech in the matchday squad.
Damian has recently signed his first professional contract with Fulham.
He is a goalkeeper like his dad and announced his deal with the Cottagers on social media.
Cech starred for Chelsea and Arsenal during his playing career in the Premier League.
He joined the Blues in 2004 from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes in a £7million transfer.
He went on to make 494 appearances for the club in which he won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups.
The stopper was also a key part of Chelsea’s historic Champions League victory in 2012.
He left Stamford Bridge in 2015 and spent four years at Arsenal, adding another FA Cup winners’ medal to his cabinet before retiring.
Since hanging up his gloves, he has changed sports and become a respected ice hockey keeper.
He had also been working behind the scenes as the technical and performance advisor at Chelsea but left the club in 2022 after Todd Boehly’s takeover.
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