Even though smoking is said to be harmful to health, many top players couldn’t resist the urge of smoking a cigarette and here, we learn about the Top 25 Famous Football Players Caught Smoking.
25. Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard used to smoke regularly during the half-time of matches. The Dutch legend’s bizarre habit continued when he became a coach.
24. Johan Cruijff
Dutch legend Johan Cruijff used to smoke from the initial days of his Ajax career. Despite his growing stature in football, he continued the habit, and it is believed that he smoked up to 2 packs in a day.
23. Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger wasn’t a heavy smoker but indulged himself in smoking frequently when he was starting his managerial career. But he left the habit after moving to England.
22. Ashley Cole
Even though Ashley Cole made life difficult for wingers, he could have been even faster without his smoking habit.
21. Slaven Bilic
The Croatian manager used to be a part of a band. That must be the place where he picked up this terrible habit.
20. Carlo Ancelotti
Even though Ancelotti isn’t a heavy smoker, he enjoys having a cigarette every once in a while, which he believes calms him down.
19. Mauricio Sarri
This might be no surprise, as many football fans have seen the Italian manager with his smoke at the touchline while at Napoli. After coming to England, he couldn’t smoke that frequently due to regulations.
18. Fabio Coentrao
Coentrao used to smoke a lot while at Real Madrid. He was spotted several times exhaling smoke at local clubs.
17. Fabien Barthez
The French goalkeeper was addicted to smoking during his playing career, but it didn’t stop him from showing impressive performances in big matches.
16. Marco Veratti
The PSG star was caught smoking during a summer vacation earlier in his career. It remains to be seen whether it was a one-off typing or he has a habit of lighting up the cigarette.
15. Mesut Ozil
Nicknamed ‘Black Raven’, Mesut Ozil could be a regular smoker given that he has been caught several times exhaling the smoke. However, it seems strange considering the consistency he maintained during his peak years.
14. Wesley Sneijder
Even though Sneijder was a top midfielder in his time, he never liked the idea of leaving all his enjoyments to get fit. He used to drink and has been caught smoking a lot of times. After retiring from football, he has become pretty unhealthy, which suggests the action of his bad habits.
13. Zinedine Zidane
Even though Zidane kept his smoking habits minimal during his peak years, he became a heavy smoker after retiring.
12. Neymar Jr.
Neymar had a terrible habit of smoking during the start of his career, but later on, he left the habit in order to retain a healthy lifestyle.
11. Lionel Messi
‘La Pulga’ might be a shy player during his initial years, but he developed a smoking habit later on. But, now, he has completely dropped the practice and has become addicted to mate tea.
10. Wojciech Szczesny
Juventus goalkeeper Szczesny must be the bravest of all as he was seen smoking freely while walking down a street in Italy while many people were watching him.
9. Dimitar Berbatov
A sensational striker during his time, Dimitar Berbatov was a heavy smoker, and he wasn’t even ashamed to smoke publicly.
8. Mario Balotelli
A player who enjoyed life to the fullest, Mario Balotelli didn’t leave the excitement of smoking a cigar to the imagination.
7. Radja Nainggolan
Nainggolan once smoked a few cigarettes while live-streaming himself on Instagram. You can say it’s weird, but the Italian star lives life like this.
6. Paul Gascoigne
Gascoigne was famous for his unhealthy habits during his playing time. Well, it seems he took his smoking habits to the next level.
5. Ronaldo
Apart from being one of the best strikers during his time, El Fenomeno was a party animal. He used to drink and smoke a lot, which affected his consultancy and longevity later on. But the Brazilian star doesn’t regret such a life.
4. Jack Wilshere
During injury issues in his career, Wilshere decided to experience smoking. He was caught exhaling while at a club.
3. Kevin-Prince Boateng
Kevin-Prince Boateng was caught smoking in the club’s restroom during his Schalke days. We don’t know whether he continued this habit later on in his career.
2. Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon might be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time; nobody could have stopped him from smoking while on vacation. It’s difficult to understand how the Italian legend played until 43 years at the highest level with such a destructive habit.
1. Wayne Rooney
One of the most threatening players on the pitch, Rooney, was caught smoking cigarettes on the streets of Manchester with his friends.
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