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 icon shared the news on Instagram alongside 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, who met as teenagers in 1999, married in June 2003 and have 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.
Čech’s career highlights include joining Chelsea from Rennes in 2004 for £7 million, making 494 appearances, and winning four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2012. He moved to Arsenal in 2015, winning another FA Cup before retiring in 2019.
Notably, Čech once 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 feature.
Since retiring from football, Čech has pursued a career in ice hockey as a goalkeeper and served as Chelsea’s technical and performance advisor until 2022, stepping down after Todd Boehly’s takeover.
