Footballers' love lives are notoriously messy, with countless messages about away games.
And that can lead to explosive and VERY costly divorces.
The bitter divorce of Kyle Walker and his wife, Annie Kilner, is the latest case to rock the sport.
Annie finally filed for divorce earlier this year after their marriage was plagued by a series of scandals.
In 2020, she agreed to stay with 34-year-old Kyle after it was revealed he had fathered a child with Lauryn Goodman during a brief affair and she stood by him during a bitter court battle in which the Manchester City ace was ordered to pay a significant sum of money pay.
But after it emerged Kyle had fathered a second child with his would-be mistress, she is now preparing to battle it out in court for half of his staggering £27million fortune.
But Kyle is far from alone in seeing his marriage end in explosive claims and courtroom confrontations over the players' eye-watering wealth.
'Not fair'
Former Arsenal right-back Emmanuel Eboue, 41, had one of the most bitter divorces in football.
He built an enviable fortune during his seven-year spell in the Premier League, but lost it all in 2017 following an acrimonious split with his ex-wife, Aurelie Bertrand.
In the divorce, she was awarded all their assets, including their two mansions and his fleet of luxury cars – and he later claimed he had to wash his clothes by hand because he couldn't afford to use his washing machine.
In 2017 he told the Sunday Mirror: “I can't afford to have another lawyer or barrister. I'm in the house, but I'm scared.
“Because I don't know what time the police will come. Sometimes I turn off the lights because I don't want people to know I'm inside.
“I suffered to buy my house, but I am afraid now. I am not going to sell my clothes or sell what I have. I will fight to the end because it is not fair.”
Emmanuel also claimed that naivete was the cause of his losses, saying that he signed everything Aurelie asked him without questions.
He added: “I look back and say, 'Emmanuel, you were naive… why didn't you think about that before?' It's hard. Very, very difficult.
“I sent the money I earned to my wife for our children.”
He claimed that of the €8 million he earned playing for Galatasary in Turkey – between 2011 and 2015 – €7 million was sent to his ex-wife.
Fatherhood blow
Cameroonian footballer Geremi filed for divorce from his wife Laure in March after a bomb ended the marriage.
The former Chelsea star, 45, claimed he was 'psychologically damaged' after finding out the 16-year-old twins he raised as his own were actually fathered by her ex.
In court documents seen in March, the midfielder claims the children were born after she had an affair while they were still together.
It said: “No children were born from this marriage” and it also denounced her “repeated lies”. It also said that Laure had destroyed the harmony “of their marriage” “through her despicable behavior.”
The twins were born in 2008 and Geremi revealed they were the motivation for the couple tying the knot four years later.
The court filing in March this year said the revelation had “caused him a huge emotional shock.”
Love rat
Ryan Giggs' wife Stacey filed for divorce in 2017 after ten years of marriage, citing numerous infidelities, including an eight-year affair with his brother's wife, Natasha.
He also cheated on Stacey with former beauty queen and Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas.
As one of the highest-paid players, the former Manchester Utd star had amassed a fortune of £40 million and the acrimonious split looked set to end in an explosive court battle over money.
But in November 2017 it was announced that they had reached an agreement and the figures remained secret.
In a statement, their lawyers said: “The terms of the settlement are confidential, but both wanted to express their sincere thanks to their respective legal teams.
“They are happy to leave this chapter of their lives as good friends.”
Mama's boy
Paris Saint-Germain player Achraf Hakimi's divorce from his wife, Hiba Abouk, had a shocking plot twist that few saw coming.
Model and actress Hiba, who has two children with the footballer, filed for divorce after being accused of rape by French prosecutors in March 2023.
During the trial, Hiba reportedly asked for half of Hakimi's £18.4 million fortune.
But in a bizarre twist, it was revealed that most of his assets were actually in his mother's name and even his substantial salary, reportedly £170,000 a WEEK, was paid into his mother's bank account.
Legally, Hakimi owned very little in his own name, leaving his irate ex with limited claim to his wealth.
The revelation led to speculation that Achraf had planned his financial settlement in anticipation of the divorce.
Messiest divorce
Francesco Totti and Ilary Blasi were dubbed Italy's Posh and Becks after they married on national television in 2005 and had three children together.
But their divorce in 2022, after seventeen years of marriage, was one of the most sensational in the country's history and things quickly got messy.
It was revealed that Ilary had hired a private investigator after suspecting him of cheating.
But Francesco, 48, also accused Ilary of infidelity and claimed she was the first to betray their marriage. The AS Roma icon said: “It is not true that I was the first to betray.
“I said I wasn't going to talk, and I didn't, but I've read too many hoaxes in the last few weeks. Some have even made my children suffer.”
The divorce battle escalated over financial assets when Totti accused his ex of running off with his expensive watch collection.
In turn, he hid all her luxury handbags until she returned his belongings safely. In an interview he said: “What was I supposed to do? I hid the bags, hoping for an exchange.”
They also fought over their lavish home in Rome and custody of their three children.
In November, Ilary claimed the Roma star left their eight-year-old's home alone when he went away – a claim he strongly refutes, saying she was being cared for by a 'professional babysitter'.
“The police knocked on Totti's door and a woman, reportedly a babysitter, opened the door,” said Italian journalist Daniele Fisichella.
“It is not clear whether it was actually a babysitter – Totti was away – or whether it was the caretaker who worked in Totti's home.
“If someone wants to write a TV series, 'The Totti's,' that could obviously be part of that. It's been in the works for the last two years, to be honest… it seems like the ending is very is far away.”
The pair are still battling it out in court.
Bankrupt star
David James was one of the most recognizable faces in English football for years.
The goalkeeper played for top clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham. It is said that he earned £50,000 a week while playing for Portsmouth.
He has four children with ex-wife Tanya, but the couple split in 2005 when he left her for his high school sweetheart Amanda Salmon, who wooed him by sending X-rated photos of herself in a thong.
Tanya belatedly said she learned about the affair when she saw a text message he received during her birthday meal that read: “I would like your warm body next to mine right now.”
The sender appeared on his phone under the name Corgi Cars as David tried to hide her identity.
During their bitter divorce battle, Tanya claims the star reneged on his promise to pay their children's school fees and only gave her a meager amount to live on after he paid the household bills.
But after paying Tanya £3million in the divorce settlement, the 51-year-old's vast empire collapsed and in 2014 he declared himself bankrupt, despite the £20million he earned from his time as a footballer.
He was forced to auction off many of his valuables, including his football memorabilia.
In his 2004 biography, former Liverpool team-mate Stan Collymore wrote of David: “If he had a new car and fooled it, he'd just go and buy a new car – so there were five cars parked in the driveway.
“If he bought a new pair of shoes and broke them, he didn't clean them. He just threw them in the guest room and bought a new pair.
'Too much disposable income, I think. Too easy to just throw things away. Too easy to spend money like you're going to make that kind of money for the rest of your life.”
Huge payout
In 2003, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, 47, married Claire Merry. The couple welcomed their daughter Tea in 2005.
However, after just four years of marriage, the France international announced he was leaving his wife, shortly before his transfer to Barcelona on a £130,000-a-week contract.
Claire was said to be devastated when Henry left their marriage amid rumors he had struck up a “close friendship” with a Spanish actress.
In court, Claire cited “unreasonable behavior” as grounds for divorce. Thierry has not disputed the claim.
In September 2007, a judge granted the divorce during a one-minute hearing at the Chief Registry of the Supreme Court.
Claire asked for £10 million and reportedly got close to the figure, although Henry kept the £6 million Hampstead mansion the couple shared. He has since demolished it and built a larger house in its place.
He married Bosnian model Andrea Rajacic in 2011 and they have three children together.
Gossip in the locker room
New England manager Thomas Tuchel, 51, married his ex-wife Sisi while working in Germany in 2009.
The couple eventually had two daughters, Emma and Kim. She quit her profession as a journalist to raise their young children.
When offered a role as Chelsea manager, she moved to Britain in August 2021 and bought a house near the club's training ground in Surrey.
But after 13 years together, their marriage ended. Court documents show that Sisi had cited irreconcilable differences for their split.
Three months after the divorce was finalized, he was spotted with his new girlfriend, Natalie Guerriero, 37, and it was revealed that they have been dating since May 2022 – just a month after the split.
According to the New York Post, his complicated love life and 'erratic' behavior had become a talking point in the Chelsea dressing room. Shortly afterwards he was sacked as Blues boss.
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