As Gerard Pique and Shakira split - we look at seven top footballers caught playing away

The couple had been together since 2010, but dropped a bombshell last weekend by announcing they are now splitting up after 12 years together.

The Barcelona star and Colombian singer have two children together.

"We regret to confirm that we are separating," a statement said. "For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy. Thank you for your understanding."

Whenever, Wherever singer Shakira (45) was so in love with Pique (35) she apparently twice tried to mend her relationship but failed.

It has emerged that Pique was living in an apartment on his own for some time, with claims he had been unfaithful.

One such allegation included a sighting of him with a 22-year-old blonde girl, who is a pal of footballer Riqui Puig's girlfriend.

Pique is not the first footballer to have been accused of playing offside. Let's have a look at a few more...

RYAN GIGGS

During his time at Manchester United, Ryan Giggs was one of the greatest players the club ever had and also appeared to live a squeaky-clean lifestyle.

All that was blown apart after an infamous superinjunction Giggs tried to enforce fell asunder, exposing an affair he had with model Imogen Thomas.

It also emerged Ryan had had an eight-year affair with his brother Rhodri's wife.

Back in 2007 father-of-two Ryan had married long-time partner Stacey Cooke in a private ceremony but the couple divorced after revelations of the player's affair with his sister-in-law Natasha.

Rhodri's life was torn apart - his wife left him, and the two brothers are no longer talking, with Ryan claiming it was just sex and meant nothing.

It also appears the brothers' mother, Lynne Giggs, has taken Ryan's side. "Because I haven't got 35 medals, I haven't played for Manchester United for 20-odd years and own a big house," stormed Rhodri.

But their father, Danny, said when Ryan was appointed boss of the Wales team he was "ashamed" of him and "I can't even bring myself to use his name".

ASHLEY COLE

At the height of The X Factor, Cheryl Tweedy and Ashley Cole looked like they had it all.

Cheryl became a star thanks to singing with Girls Aloud and became a national treasure in the UK due to being a judge on the hit show, while Cole was one of Chelsea's best players.

The couple started dating in 2004 and two years later got married, with Cheryl changing her name to Cole.

But in 2008 the pair almost separated after Ashley's one-night stand with hairdresser Aimee Walton.

"Ashley's a wonderful husband and we ARE in love. I know Ashley intimately. When he is under the influence, he isn't cap­able," Cheryl said a week after the revelation.

But that same day model Brooke Healy claimed she had sex with the footballer in 2006 and revealed that one of Cole's friends gave her £6,000 in cash to sign a legal document stating she did not sleep with him.

The couple stayed together despite the adultery allegations, but parted in 2010 after x-rated pictures were leaked amid allegations of affairs with five women.

"I wasn't a footballer's wife living in an ivory tower. I was just a heartbroken girl," Cheryl said when she split. She went on to have a kid with singer Liam Payne, but soon parted ways with him too.

JOHN TERRY

Chelsea's John Terry always had a reputation as a bit of a playboy, and he admitted as much when he married his childhood sweetheart Toni Poole.

"I've misbehaved and slept with girls behind her back and that is not right," he said in 2007. "She knows about it all now and we are moving on. I'm not going to cheat on her ever again."

But all that changed in 2010 when it was claimed Terry had an affair with French model Vanessa Perroncel, who was his England teammate Wayne Bridge's girlfriend. Bridge was so hurt by the affair he even refused to shake Terry's hand as Chelsea met Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Although Terry's wife stood by him and did not divorce him, the scandal caused the footballer his England armband.

THIERRY HENRY

Ireland soccer fans are already familiar with Thierry Henry being a cheat on the field following the infamous 'hand of frog' incident in the Stade de France in 2009, but the former Arsenal star is also known for doing the dirt in the bedroom.

In 2001 Henry fell in love with British model Claire Merry, and the couple married two years later. But the pair divorced in 2008 due to the Frenchman's "unreasonable behaviour".

It was alleged that the former Arsenal footballer had a fling with make-up artist Sadie Hewlett, with Claire finding text messages to Sadie on Henry's mobile phone.

"A divorce is never easy, even more so with a daughter in the middle. I think that last year was very tough. I arrived in Barca injured, in the middle of a separation," Henry said at the time, and who paid out an £8m settlement to his ex-wife.

WAYNE ROONEY

One of the most notorious 'serial sh**gers' in football is Wayne Rooney.

When Wayne was in secondary school in Liverpool he met Coleen McLoughlin and after six years the pair got married in Italy, at which Westlife were the wedding band.

In 2010 it emerged Wayne bedded Jenny Thompson, who was 21 years old at the time.

It was one of several incidents Wayne had been caught up in, but Coleen kept on giving him another chance - although it emerged in her recent libel trial with Rebekah Vardy that she showed him the door after he was involved in a car crash when a female was with him at the time.

He also once infamously paid for sex with a granny in a brothel in 2004 while he was dating Coleen.

"I was young and stupid. It was at a time when I was very young and immature and before I had settled down with Coleen," he said soon afterwards.

But it seems Coleen continues to turn the other cheek.

DAVID BECKHAM

Brand Beckham is worth hundreds of millions and 'Posh and Becks' are one of the world's best-known couples.

But allegations of cheating have been made against David for many years, including a much publicised affair which emerged in 2004 with his personal assistant Rebecca Loos.

A short time later an Australian model claimed she had been involved with the former Man Utd and Real Madrid footballer. Call girl Irma Nici also claimed in 2010 to have had an encounter with Beckham in 2007.

But Becks has dismissed these claims as women either looking for money or fame.

FRANCK RIBERY

In 2004 France and Bayern Munich legend Franck Ribery married Wahiba, a French national of Algerian descent.

But in 2009 it was claimed that Zahia Dehar, an underage prostitute, was paid to fly to Paris and have sex with a French international as a birthday gift.

It was alleged Ribery became one of Zahia's regular customers after meeting her in Paris nightclub.

Zahia, who was 17 at the time, said: "He made reservations at a hotel in Munich. We had sex and he paid me. I was a lovely little present, wasn't I?"

However, the girl insisted that the footballer thought she was 18 (legal age).

Later, Ribery referred to his scandal and said: "It hurt my family, above all those close to me. That's all I want to say."

Ribery and Karim Benzema were later charged with paying for sex with a girl under the legal age.