Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger, wife separate after 5 years of marriage

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, France, meaning that they are free to see other people.

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

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

At the time, she told the Mailonline: "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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