Gerard Piqué, Barcelona defender and his partner, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, have officially announced that they are parting ways.
A joint statement released by Shakira, a Colombian singer, on June 4 has confirmed that they are separating
The Barcelona centre-back has been with the Colombian singer for 11 years, with the couple having had two children together.
Spanish daily newspaper El Periodico has published allegations made by video podcast Mamarazzis that claim that Pique “has been seen accompanied by other women” and that he has “been living alone for weeks in his old apartment”.
“We regret to confirm that we are parting ways,” the joint statement, released via the EFE agency, read.
“For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy.
“Thanks for your understanding.”
Pique and Shakira have been together for 11 years, having started dating in 2010.
In an interview Catalan newspaper L’Esportiu back in 2020, Pique recalled the first time he met the singer, who performed at the 2010 World Cup before Spain’s 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final.
“I told her that I’d see her at the final,” he said. “She was going to perform in the closing ceremony and I was certain we’d make it that far.”
The pair have two children together, Milan, nine, and Sasha, seven.
In an interview on Gary Neville’s Overlap video series released in May 2022, Pique discussed why he and Shakira were not married.
He said: No, I’m not married. It’s her mentality.
“I like it how we are right now. We have two kids, nine and seven right now. We work good as a couple.”