Wojciech Szczesny fails ‘fight’ to quit smoking 10 years after Arsenal incident
'Please do not follow me and don't do it.'
Barcelona’s Wojciech Szczesny admits he has ‘lost the fight’ in his battle to quit smoking, 10 years after he ‘lit one up’ in Arsenal’s dressing room.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper is still active at the very top level of European football, having joined La Liga giants Barcelona as a free agent last year.
Although he mainly operates as a back-up option, Szczesny has become a fan favourite, suffering only one defeat across his 25 games for the club.
Barcelona supporters have regularly chanted ‘Szczesny fumador’, which translates to ‘smoker Szczesny’ in English, when he has played in goal.
Szczesny has now opened up about his habit in a new interview, which landed him in hot water at Arsenal a decade ago after he smoked in the Gunners’ dressing room following a 2-0 defeat to Southampton in 2015.
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‘There are some parts of the game where I believe I can be a perfect example for young people or, in fact, for my teammates,’ he told ESPN.
‘And there are some things in my career that you better not follow. In a few aspects, I fail at [being an example].
‘But I try to be the best version of myself, and I try to give the correct example to my teammates, to young kids who watch us.’
Szczesny has sent a message to any young fans who may be thinking about lighting their first cigarette or buying a vape containing nicotine.
‘[On] the subject of smoking, please do not follow me and don’t do it,’ Szczesny added.
‘I’ve lost the fight. When I was very young, I created a habit that is very negative for me, and I know it is. I just lose against it. So for anybody watching: Don’t do what I did.’
It’s incredibly rare for modern footballers to speak so openly about smoking or drinking alcohol – and quizzed about his decision to discuss his habit publicly – Szczesny said: ‘Because I’m not a politician.
‘Maybe that’s why. I’m just a goalkeeper. I have to catch a ball and kick it. It’s much, much easier to keep up with your previous interviews if you’re just honest and you never lie and you’re just open.
‘You ask me a question, I answer the question as honestly as I can. You know, there are things I would rather not talk about. The subject that we mentioned, I would rather not talk about it.
‘But if somebody asks me, yeah [I smoke]. But I would rather not have the question asked because I don’t want to be a bad example.’
Szczesny, speaking on an Arsenal podcast five years ago, said former Gunners manager Arsene Wenger was fully aware that he was a smoker.
‘Back at that time I was smoking regularly and the boss knew it very well,’ he told the Arsenal Nation podcast. ‘He just didn’t want anybody smoking in the dressing rooms and I knew that also.
‘Because of the emotion of the game (a 2-0 defeat to Southampton in 2015), I had a cigarette after the game when the team was still in. I went in the corner of the showers, so it was at the other end of the dressing room and nobody could see me, and I lit one up.’
If you wish to quit smoking in the UK, the NHS offers free support. You can also call the free Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044.
