Former Aston Villa star Jota’s wife Ajla Etemovic has announced that the couple’s marriage is over. The model has claimed that the split is due to the retired footballer’s alleged infidelity.
Jota spent several years in English football, making 10 Premier League appearances for Villa as the club returned to the top-flight in the 2019/20 season. He made the controversial move from fierce rivals Birmingham City to Villa Park, where he reunited with his former Brentford boss Dean Smith.
The Spanish midfielder last played for Alaves in La Liga before officially announcing his retirement in October 2022, aged 31. Since leaving the sport, Jota has gained recognition for his agricultural technology company.
The 34-year-old is the founder and chief executive of GROINN, with reports previously projecting the company’s value to reach approximately £3billion. Despite Jota’s successful business venture, his wife Ajla has explained her decision to end their relationship.
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The couple married in 2024 and share a son together. However, she has alleged that Jota was unfaithful during their relationship.
“There are things that can’t happen in a marriage,” Ajla claimed on TV programme ¡De viernes!, as relayed by Spanish outlet ¡Hola!. “Information has come out that there were other people involved in our relationship; these are the acts of disrespect I’m referring to.”
She continued: “I haven’t seen him with anyone else, but I’ve seen things on his phone that prove he was having an extramarital affair. They were terrible messages about our relationship.
3View 3 ImagesAjla Etemovic has spoken about her marriage(Image: @ajlaetemovicser/Instagram)
3View 3 ImagesJota and Ajla Peleteiro pictured in Madrid in March 2025(Image: Jose Oliva/Europa Press via Getty Images)
“I was trying to save the relationship, and I had to read messages in which he said he wanted to leave me, laughing at me, planning to divorce me, and having sexual conversations while I was at home taking care of Malik and supporting him.”
Jota was previously married to model Jessica Bueno from 2015 until 2022, with the couple having two children together. He subsequently tied the knot with Ajla in 2024, who has spoken about her relationship with the former footballer.
“There are many ways to feel loved and appreciated,” Ajla said. “He wasn’t very romantic; he was good at talking. The words were there, but the actions weren’t.
“Honestly, I thought he was a good husband. He was very good at the beginning, but he had many problems, and I kept waiting for him to improve, but instead of getting better, he got worse. This marriage is over.”
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