Ex-Barcelona star Marc Bartra sends cheeky message as his partner shows off topless picture on holiday

Former Barcelona centre-back Marc Bartra made a cheeky comment on his partner Jessica Goicoechea's racy Instagram post after she shared revealing shots of herself on a beach in the Maldives.

Goicoechea, a model and fashion designer, shared a topless backshot of herself with her 1.8 million followers. The post contained several other photos of her in a green bikini while on a beach in the Maldives.

Bartra was evidently awestruck by the visuals and cheekily offered to help her during her next photoshoot. The Spaniard said (translated from Spanish):

"@pepeherreros @goi need someone to help you with the next @joan6six6 shoot ?? I'm in 🙄😜😍"

She replied (translated from Spanish):

"We urgently need your help 💙💚 @marcbartra"

Bartra and Goicoechea's relationship has come into the public eye more prominently in recent months. The former Barcelona centre-back separated from his wife, Melissa Jimenez, in 2022 due to a long sentimental crisis (h/t Vanity).

They married each other in June 2017 in Barcelona and have three kids (two daughters and a son) together. Bartra seems to have moved on, and it remains to be seen if his relationship with his new girlfriend evolves into something more official and serious.

Bartra, 32, plays for Trabzonspor in Turkey, whom he joined from Real Betis last summer on a three-year contract. He's a product of the famed La Masia, which he joined in the summer of 2002 from Espanyol's youth academy.

The 14-cap Spain international struggled to become a prominent member of the Blaugrana's starting XI. He left the Camp Nou in the summer of 2016 with 103 senior appearances alongside five La Liga and two UEFA Champions League titles.

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Xavi underlines Barcelona's season goals after Elche win

Xavi's team are on the cusp of winning La Liga.

Manager Xavi Hernandez has admitted that Barcelona's 4-0 La Liga win against Elche on Saturday (April 1) was an important step in the direction of winning the league.

The win opened up a 15-point gap over holders Real Madrid in the standings. Speaking after the win at the Camp Nou, the Spanish tactician said (h/t BarcaUniversal):

"This is an important step forward for our goal, which is to win La Liga. A solid performance all around. We knew what we had to do, and we did it. A great match."

Second-placed Real Madrid reduced the gap back to 12 points after a convincing 6-0 win against Real Valladolid on Sunday (April 2). Barcelona have 71 points from 27 games and are on course to win their first league title since the 2018-19 campaign.