Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba has ended his marriage of 10years with partner Lalla Diakate.

The former Chelsea striker has been married to Diakate since 2011 and they had three children together.

Drogba confirmed the split with Lalla via social media when he wrote on Instagram: “I’m not in the habit of discussing my private life.

“But, because of speculation in the media today, I can confirm that sadly, after 20 years together, Lalla and I took the difficult decision to separate last year.

“We remain very close, and our main priorities have been to protect our children and our family’s private life. May God bless you.”

The split from wife Lalla happened after photos and videos of Drogba with another woman went viral on social media. In the video, which a representative claimed had been hacked, Drogba was seen bare-chested in bed with the near-naked young woman, sparking headlines in his home country.

The 42-year-old and the unidentified woman appear extremely playful as she jokingly bites his shoulder before he cries in French: “She’s positive! She’ll infect me by biting me!”

Drogba spent an initial eight years at Chelsea, before briefly returning in 2014, scoring 104 goals in 254 Premier League games, winning four premier league titles and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.

Drogba is also the all-time top scorer and former captain of the Ivory Coast, boasting 65 goals in 105 caps.