Barcelona star Pique and wife Shakira separate after 11 years

Gerard Pique and Shakira have been dating since 2011[Twitter]

Barcelona star defender Gerard Pique has separated with his partner Shakira.

The Colombian pop star, 45, confirmed that they will be ending their 11-year union in a joint statement released on Saturday.

“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the two said in a statement released by Shakira’s public relations firm.

“For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”

The statement confirms the end of what will undoubtedly be remembered as one of football’s famous relationships, comparable with ‘Posh and Becks’, Victoria and David Beckham.

Shakira and Pique have two kids together named Sasha and Milan.

In current days, rumors of the death of the couple’s 11-12 months dating had gripped Spanish media, fueled through media reviews that Pique, 35, had left the family’s domestic in Barcelona and changed into dwelling through himself withinside the city.

The Barcelona star first met the global pop sensation in 2010 while filming the music video for Shakira’s hit ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), the soundtrack to the World Cup in South Africa.