Arsenal boss Wenger to divorce wife Annie just five years after they finally married as judge grants legal separation in Paris

  • Arsene and Annie Wenger have separated and are set to be divorced
  • Reports claim a 'separation of bodies' judgment has been issued in Paris 
  • The couple have an 18-year-old daughter and were married in 2010
  • Weeks before the wedding it was reported that Wenger had become close to French rapper Sonia Tatar

By Sunni Upal and Hugo Gye for MailOnline

Published: 18:01 EST, 22 September 2015 | Updated: 04:34 EST, 23 September 2015

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has formally separated from his wife, according to reports.

Wenger and his long-term partner Annie had a 'separation of bodies' judgment issued by a judge in Paris, meaning that they are free to see other people.

Wenger is still expected to support Annie financially, The Sun reported.

A source told the newspaper: 'They have divided up their assets and agreed a financial package to separate.

Split: Arsene Wenger is to divorce his wife Annie after the pair had a 'separation of bodies' judgment issued

Split: Arsene Wenger is to divorce his wife Annie after the pair had a 'separation of bodies' judgment issued

'Friend': Wenger was reported to have become close to French rapper Sonia Tatar (pictured) in 2010

'Friend': Wenger was reported to have become close to French rapper Sonia Tatar (pictured) in 2010

'They have not been happy for a while, and they decided this was the best course of action to take.'

The judgment - which apparently shows that the pair have been living separately for several months - falls short of a complete divorce but legally states that they are no longer together.

The Wengers had been in a long-term relationship since the mid-1990s, and married each other in 2010. They also have an 18-year-old daughter, Lea.

They initially lived in different countries, with Annie staying in Monaco while Wenger lived in London after taking over at Arsenal in 1996.

A few weeks before their wedding it was reported that Wenger had become close to French rapper Sonia Tatar, then 39. 

Wenger on the training ground at London Colney on Tuesday as he prepares Arsenal to take on Tottenham

Couple: The Wengers have been together since the 1990s but did not marry until five years ago

Divorce: A judge in Paris made their separation official meaning they could see other people

Divorce: A judge in Paris made their separation official meaning they could see other people

At the time, she told the Mail: 'I am not a good time girl. I don't go to the discotheque looking for footballers. I don't care about being famous. I don't want to be recognised in the street.

'I am not doing this for money. We were in love. He promised me things. He said he wanted me to stay with him for the rest of his life.

'Now I would like him to understand it's not a game to play with people's emotions. I truly loved him.'

Wenger and his wife, a former basketball player, were last pictured together at an IWC watch event in January 2014 in Germany.

Annie, 59, was previously married to French basketball star George Brosterhous, 64, with whom she had two children before her relationship with Wenger.

A French legal expert told The Sun: 'This is a legal separation, which means the couple are not legally obliged to live together, and they can have separate lives, and no longer have intimate relations.

'He will have to still keep his responsibilities to look after the family. If the judgment is not overturned within two years, a divorce will be automatically granted.'

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