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Chelsea sealed the £40.3 million permanent transfer of Mateo Kovacic from Real Madrid in 2019, and he arrived alongside his partner, Izabel, who is dubbed 'the Croatian Shakira'.
Izabel, 30, is the founder and owner of the successful organic and eco-friendly baby product, Lunilou. She has run the company alongside her sister Ivana Lucic since 2015. They sell baby moccasins, pillows and other accessories.
The Croatian also studied economics at a university in Zagreb and she and her sister pushed to start their baby business because Ivana's oldest daughter has sensitive skin.
Izabel was with Kovacic during his time playing for Real Madrid. She became popular among the Spanish media as she regularly supported the midfielder from the Santiago Bernabeu stands.
The couple met during their teenage years at St Anthony's Church in Padfua. Kovacic's family are dedicated catholics and he was an altar boy as a teenager. Meanwhile, Izabel was Swiss-born and was a choir girl at church.
They married in June 2017 and returned to the same church for the ceremony, per the Sun. Several of Kovacic's Real Madrid and Croatian teammates were at the wedding, including Ivan Perisic and Marcelo. He allegedly spent over £250,000 on the ceremony.
Izabel has been compared to Shakira due to her long blonde curly hair. She may also boast similar singing talent given her teenage years as a choir girl. The couple gave birth to a baby boy named Ivan in 2020. He was christened in July 2021 and Madrid legend Luka Modric is his godfather.
Chelsea are keen to hold talks with Kovacic over a contract extension but he could leave
Kovacic's contract with Chelsea expires in a year and speculation has grown over his future. The Croatian has scored one goal and provided one assist in 23 games across competitions.
According to English journalist Simon Phillips, the Blues are looking to hold talks with the midfielder over a new deal. He told GIVEMESPORT that the Premier League club are keen to talk to the player but there are no signs of negotiations taking place. The Croatian is said to be keen to explore his options next summer. His future is uncertain and Phillips could definitely see him leaving in the summer.
The former Madrid man has been a key member of Chelsea's midfield since joining the club from Los Blancos. He has made 207 appearances, scoring five goals and providing 14 assists.
