Shakira, Pique issue joint statement to confirm split

Gerard Pique and Shakira

Colombian superstar Shakira and FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique announced on Saturday they were calling time on their relationship of more than a decade.

"We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our upmost priority, we request respect for [our] privacy," they said in a
statement.

The Hips don't Lie songstress, 45, is one of the biggest names in the global music industry and has sold more than 60 million albums.

Spanish football hero Pique, 35, won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship, and is a three-time Champions League winner with Barcelona. The couple share two sons - Milan and Sasha and had been living together for years on the outskirts of Barcelona.