Ex-Premier League star and Wonderbra model with 'longest legs' split after 'lover' claims

Former Premier League player Christian Karembeu, who celebrated his 55th birthday this week, was a World Cup and European Championship winner with France, as well as a two-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid.

Yet, perhaps none of his on-field achievements could compare to the day he struck gold when he began dating supermodel Adriana Sklenarikova.

The Slovakian blonde sensation held a Guinness World Record for her exceptionally long legs.

However, it was her role as one of the faces of Wonderbra—the iconic push-up underwire bra that rose to global fame in the 1990s—that brought the stunning model widespread recognition and success.

She first met Karembeu on a flight from Paris to Milan in 1998. It was love at first sight for the pair, and they married that December.

The Victoria's Secret model even followed the "complete midfielder" to Teesside.

The French international made the surprising move from the Bernabeu to the Riverside Stadium in the summer of 2000, joining Bryan Robson's side in a £2.1 million deal.

Adriana was often photographed in the stands and even modeled Middlesbrough's away kit for the 2001/02 season, shortly before her husband left the club for Greek giants Olympiacos.

However, in 2011, their marriage came to an abrupt end. In an interview, Adriana sought to "clarify things," expressing frustration over constant media attention and sensational headlines.

She said: "We have always been a highly publicized couple, constantly in the spotlight.

"Lately, I have been upset to see photos of me with other men published in the press, portrayed as alleged lovers.

"Christian is someone I will always care for, and my feelings for him will remain."

She added: "The truth is, I never cheated on my husband, but Christian and I had been separated for several months. I was the one who left.

"Christian is like family to me. I will always care for him and cherish my feelings for him. In many ways, my life truly began in 1998, the year I met him on that flight from Milan to Paris."

Karembeu declined to answer media questions about the divorce, stating he would not discuss his private life publicly.

A few years later, he found love again with Lebanese skier Jackie Chamoun, and the couple welcomed a daughter in September 2017.

Meanwhile, Adriana, now 54, married Armenian businessman Aram Ohanian in 2014.

They had a daughter together, but the couple separated in 2022.

After retiring from playing, Karembeu worked as a scout for Portsmouth in 2006, followed by a three-year stint as a non-executive director of Birmingham International Holdings—the investment firm of Chinese businessman Paul Suen, who took over Birmingham City.

He also served as a scout for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger before taking on an administrative role at his former club, Olympiacos.