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Jack Wilshere kicked off a massive debate last evening when a picture of him smoking outside a nightclub began making the rounds. Everyone, right from the media persons to people on social networking sites began discussing if this was actually true and the “How could Jack do such a thing?” questions began making the rounds.
But Wilshere isn’t the only footballer to be caught smoking on camera. There have been many in the past and there will be many more in the future. Here’s a list of the top 10, well-known footballers who used to smoke while playing for their country or club.
1. Socrates
Along with being a professional footballer and a medical student, Socrates was a two-packs-a-day chain smoker too. Not that it reflected in his playing career, that is. He captained Brazil in two World Cups and didn’t fail to perform in either. The thrilling slothfulness which was quite apparent while taking penalties could probably be credited to the amount of nicotine quantity inside of him.
He did make a brief comeback with Garforth Town in the Northern Counties East League in England in 2004, almost a decade after retiring, but that lasted for just 20 minutes. He said he’d smoked way too many cigarettes and it was impossible for him to play any longer.
2. Gianluca Vialli
While he did admit to smoking, Vialli was also of the opinion that it was a healthier alternative to getting drunk every night. During his playing career, Vialli was caught smoking many-a-times after being substituted. It is also rumoured that during the 1990 World Cup, he was spotted trying to smoke sneakily next to the bench.
For someone who was as addicted to nicotine as him, it definitely wasn’t a surprise when he carried on his smoking habits even after becoming Chelsea’s manager.
3. Johan Cruyff
“Football has given me everything in this life; tobacco almost took it all away.”
As a footballer and as a manager, Cruyff smoked 20 cigarettes a day until he underwent a double heart bypass surgery after the cigarettes and stress caught up with him. To help him give up on smoking, Chupa Chups Group, a Barcelona-based confectioner, sent him a box of lollipops. From then on, Cruyff could be seen on TV furiously sucking a Chupa Chups as he paced back and forth on the sidelines.
4. Robert Prosinecki
Robert smoked approximately 40-50 cigarettes a day and still managed to win the European Cup in 1991 with Red Star Belgrade. He did cut to 20-a-day when he joined Portsmouth in 2001.
5. Fabien Barthez
A top-level goalkeeper who played under Sir Alex Ferguson, yet managed to stick around despite his smoking habit.
According to The Guardian, Ferguson said in 2001 of Barthez’s smoking:
‘I know Fabien smokes. I was even aware of that before he joined us. He must think I don’t know about it, but he is mistaken. He is the third United player to be hooked on cigarettes since I have been at the club. Before him, there were Jesper Olsen and goalkeeper Les Sealey.
‘In England, it’s a rare thing to see a player smoking but, all in all, I prefer that to an alcoholic. The relationship with alcohol is a real problem in English football and, in the short term, it’s much more harmful to a sportsman. It weakens the body, which becomes more susceptible to injury.That’s why I’ve been so keen on prevention classes for our youngsters.’
6. Zinedine Zidane
Jack Wilshere tweeted this picture last evening. Zidane was widely known to be a part of an anti-smoking campaign in 2002, but was seen casually smoking a cigarette just before the 2006 World Cup semifinal against Portugal.
7. Osvaldo Ardiles
Former Tottenham manager César Luis Menotti was a chain smoker and inspired by him, Osvaldo Ardiles smoked over 40 cigarettes a day.
“It didn’t bother Ossie and it doesn’t bother me,” said the then coach.
“No, sometimes when you see a picture I just pretend to smoke to make me more of a cool guy.”
Said Dimitar Berbatov to The Independent. But we all know better than that, don’t we?
9. Wayne Rooney
The media had a field-day when Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney was spotted on a night out in the Manchester City center in August 2010 “Lighting up a cigarette, urinating against a wall and singing raucously” according to The Daily Mail.
And in 2011, on his honeymoon with Coleen, The Sun published pictures of Wayne smoking in the swimming pool.
10. Mario Balotelli
Not a big surprise to see Mario on this list. Along with being notorious for a lot of other antics, there are more than a few Balotelli-esque incidents around smoking.
The Daily Mail had reported that the former Manchester manager, Roberto Mancini had warned Balotelli that he should give up his smoking habits or he would lose his place in the starting XI. After moving to AC Milan in 2013, Mario was reportedly fined for smoking in a train toilet.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that a senior train guard told Milan’s Vice President, Adriano Galliani:
“Maybe you have to pull Balotelli’s ears, because he was smoking in the toilet.”
