Wife of Swedish MLS star Emil Forsberg accuses him of 'ghosting' and 'neglecting' his young family in brutal I
- Emil Forsberg joined the New York Red Bulls after eight years with RB Leipzig
- Emil and Shanga have two young children named Florence and Siena
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
By Leocciano Callao
Published: 15:25 GMT, 25 March 2024 | Updated: 15:35 GMT, 25 March 2024
New York Red Bulls star Emil Forsberg and his wife, Shanga, are divorcing, the footballer's childhood sweetheart announced on Instagram on Monday.
Emil, 32, and 31-year-old Shanga hail from Sundsvall, Sweden, and have been together for 19 years. The pair tied the knot in the Summer of 2016 and have two children named Florence and Siena.
Shanga has filed for a divorce, according to documents seen by Expressen.
'We will part ways. Words I thought I would never utter after two children and 19 years together and that still feel unreal,' she wrote on an Instagram post that was deleted hours later.
Their split comes months after the midfielder completed a move to Major League Soccer from RB Leipzig.
Swedish footballer Emil Forsberg's wife, Shanga, filed for a divorce after a 19-year relationship
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Shanga accused Emil of 'ghosting' his young family
The divorce comes months after the midfielder agreed to join the New York Red Bulls in MLS
'I have loved you more than anything and always supported you. But even love has its limits. The greatest love is my children and I want them to know their worth just as I know mine. Being taken for granted and neglected is not love,' her post, which was written in Swedish, continued.
'A new start in New York was apparently a new start for you and your life. It was just that I, being a child, did not know about it beforehand. But it became painfully clear quickly. In the newspapers, we have read and seen that you are doing well and are 'enjoying every moment'. You also have future plans. We didn't know about them either.
'If the reporters even knew you've been talking to them more than your family these past few months. Since you haven't communicated at all, apart from insisting that you can't explain your actions, let time tell what it was you wanted to achieve by ghosting your family. I hope that in the future you can show respect and consideration for others despite your own needs. And have the courage and maturity to communicate.
'I will continue to put the children's well-being and need for security first. For your sake, I hope you don't regret it and that your new life in NY is worth a divorce and the way you treated your children and their mother.'
While Shanga has been outspoken about their relationship, Emil has yet to address the breakup.
The pair have been together for 19 years and tied the knot in the summer of 2019
Shanga cited Emil's move to New York as the catalyst for him 'neglecting' their family
Forsberg made 243 appearances and scored 48 goals for RB Leipzig from 2015-2023
Upon joining the MLS side, Forsberg was immediately appointed the Red Bulls captain. So far this season, he appeared and started in four of their five games.
Forsberg has a goal and two assists as the team sits third in the Eastern Conference with a 3-1-1 record.
New York's No. 10 missed this weekend's 4-0 blowout over Inter Miami at Red Bull Arena while on international duty for Sweden. He played in a 5-2 loss against Portugal on March 21 and will be in the lineup against Romania on the 25th.
Forsberg started his professional career with GIF Sundsvall, scoring 24 goals from 2009-2012. He was briefly loaned to Medskogsbrons BK in 2009 and scored two goals in three appearances.
From 2013-2015, he played at Malmö and tallied 19 goals before his longest stint with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. Forsberg made 243 appearances, scoring 48 goals for the German side from 2015-2023, and joined Leipzig's sister club Stateside.
As an international, Forsberg has played 87 games for the Swedes' senior team and netted 21 goals.