BARCELOVER FOR SHAKIRA

BARCELONA. – Colombian pop star Shakira and her long-time partner, Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, are separating.

“We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we request respect for (our) privacy. Thank you for your understanding,” the couple said in a joint statement on Saturday.

The 45-year-old “Hips Don’t Lie” singer and 35-year-old FC Barcelona defender have two sons together: Mila, born in 2013, and Sasha, born in 2015.

They’ve maintained a residence in Spain.

The two met 12 years ago when the footballer featured in the music video for Shakira’s song “Waka Waka,” the official song of the 2010 World Cup.

The video has over 3.1 billion views on YouTube.

During a podcast appearance in February, Shakira said that she and her “poor husband, slash boyfriend, slash baby daddy” sometimes disagree about timeliness because of their different upbringings.

“Cause Colombian time is not the same as Catalonian time, Spanish time,” she said during an interview on “Planet Weirdo with Holly H.”

Shakira confirmed their separation in a statement via her publicist – although she made no reference to Pique’s alleged cheating.

It read: “We regret to confirm that we are parting ways.

“For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

35, has yet to release a statement on the separation, nor has he addressed his alleged cheating.

Reports in Spain claim the former Manchester United man has ‘staying alone in his own apartment for weeks’ following Shakira’s discovery of his alleged infidelity.

The World Cup winner is said to have been enjoying Barcelona’s famed nightlife with his pals and team-mate Riqui Puig.

And according to Marca, his partying has been ‘out of control’.

Pique met Shakira when he was training in Madrid ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Colombian singer’s hit single Waka Waka was the official song for the tournament and the defender appeared in the video.

Pique recalled: “It all started when we were in South Africa and I wrote to her.”

They confirmed they were in a relationship a year later.

Their first child, a boy named Milan, was born in January 2013.

The former couple welcomed their second child, a boy named Sasha, in January 2015.

Before their separation, Pique was quizzed about his failure to tie the knot with the ‘Whenever, Wherever’ singer.

During an appearance on The Overlap, the centre-back told ex-team-mate Gary Neville: “No, I’m not married. It’s her mentality.

“I like it how we are right now. We have two kids, nine and seven right now. We work good as a couple.” – CNN/The Sun