8 footballing smokers who enjoyed a fag

06 January 2015 14:16

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could be fined by the club following reports he smoked in the showers after the 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day.

Here, we look at some other footballers who enjoyed a cigarette.

1. Jack Wilshere

Arsenal midfielder Wilshere was twice pictured with a cigarette, once during the early hours outside a London nightclub and then again at a pool party on holiday in Las Vegas. Wilshere has since spoken of his regret, but Gunners’ fan still remind him with their light-hearted chant of “Jack Wilshere, he smokes when he wants”.

2. Zinedine Zidane

Wilshere posted a picture of World Cup winner Zidane smoking after he was at the centre of some negative headlines, and the Frenchman certainly never let the odd crafty cigarette get in the way of glittering career – although he did get sent off in the 2006 World Cup final for headbutting Marco Materazzi.

3. Mario Balotelli

From fireworks in the bathroom to taking on the playground bullies, Italian Balotelli was rarely been out of the headlines during his last stay in England at Manchester City, where his 10-a-day habit drew plenty of attention. Then City boss Roberto Mancini quipped: “It is better that he quits, but if he smokes 10 cigarettes a day and scores two goals every game, then that’s better.”

4. Dimitar Berbatov

There may be plenty of paparazzi snaps of Bulgarian Berbatov, who had spells at Tottenham, Manchester United and Fulham, brandishing a cigarette, but it was, according to the man himself, more often than not just for show. He said: “Sometimes when you see a picture I just pretend to smoke to make me more of a cool guy.”

5. Carlo Ancelotti

Italian Ancelotti fell foul of England’s no-smoking zones when he took over as manager of Chelsea in 2009. Instead had to chew gum as he paced up and down the touchlines of the Premier League, guiding his side to the Premier League and FA Cup Double in 2010.

6. Johan Cruyff

Dutch maestro Cruyff used to openly smoke a packet a day, which continued when he was on the touchline as coach at Barcelona before giving up in 1991 following a heart bypass operation. He said: “Football has given me everything in this life; tobacco almost took it all away.”

7. Arsene Wenger

Like fellow Frenchman Michel Platini, who is now Uefa president, Gunners boss Wenger had in his younger days taken a puff or two. He recalled: “When I was a player, nobody would ever tell you that you should not smoke. We were driving home in coaches where you had to open the windows in winter to see each other. I never smoked a lot and never when I played. But when I became a young coach I had an assistant who smoked and, at 3am in the morning when you have lost a big game, I might have one.”

8. Socrates

Brazil midfielder Scorates graduated as medical student during the early years of his football career, but that did not stop the bearded football genius from smoking, or indeed drinking. The captain of the 1982 and 1986 World Cup squads – who once made a brief cameo for West Yorkshire team Garforth Town in 2004 – passed away aged 57 in Sao Paulo after suffering an intestinal infection.

Source: SNAPPA