Shakira and Piqué separate: "Respect our privacy"

Colombian singer Shakira and Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué have split up.

'' We are sorry to confirm - reads the statement they released - that we are separating.

For the well-being of our children, who are our top priority, we ask you to respect our privacy.

Thanks for your understanding".  

Shakira and Piqué, world champion with Spain in 2010 and Europe in 2012, met at the World Cup in South Africa during the recording of the video clip "Waka Waka".

They never married and their relationship gave birth to two children: Milan in 2013 and Sasha in 2015.

In recent days, various media had reported that the footballer had abandoned his family roof in Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona) and had returned to live in his single apartment located in the upper area of ​​the Catalan city. 

At the origin of the couple crisis, according to the Spanish media, the relationship of the football player with a twenty-year-old student.

According to some rumors, the anxiety crisis that recently forced the Colombian singer to hospitalization is due to the discovery of her partner's betrayal, news denied by sources close to Shakira, struggling with a difficult moment even for an accident suffered by the father.

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Shakira and Piqué in 2011

For some time, however, Shakira's social media profiles - very popular - had been missing couple photos and some suspicions had also been raised by the lyrics of the pop star's last song: "I know you well and I know you're lying; congratulations you are a good actor, on this I have no doubts, they should give you an Oscar ", sings in Te Felicito. 

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Shakira at the Cannes Film Festival

In addition to heart problems for Shakira, there are also those with the taxman.

The Court of Barcelona, ​​in fact, rejected the appeal presented by the singer against her proceedings for six alleged crimes against the public treasury.

She is accused of

.

The court claims that Shakira was resident in Spain in the years in which she allegedly committed the offense, i.e. between 2012 and 2014. 

The star's press office has issued a note stating that her behavior regarding tax matters has always been "irreproachable" and that she will continue to uphold her "innocence".

One of the main arguments of the defense is that she Shakira was not a resident of Spain in those years.

According to the newspaper El País, the possibility remains open that Shakira and the prosecutor will reach an agreement before the conclusion of the trial.

Business, at least the "legal" ones - is better for Piqué: the sentence, which obliged the player to reimburse 2.1 million euros to the tax authorities for an alleged crime of fraud on his image rights, was canceled.