Barcelona Goalkeeper Smokes During Interview: "It's an Addiction"
Wojciech Szczęsny is one of the few footballers who openly admits to smoking. In an interview with "The Athletic", the Polish goalkeeper for Barcelona lit an electronic cigarette, stating that he prefers to be authentic rather than pretend to be perfect.
Wojciech Szczęsny is one of the few footballers in the world who admits to smoking. In an interview with "The Athletic", the Polish goalkeeper for Barcelona pulled out an electronic cigarette and asked the interviewer if it was okay for him to smoke.
"I never claimed to be a perfect person," said Szczęsny, who noted that in his opinion there are more dangerous addictions in the football world, such as gambling and alcohol. "Maybe it doesn't look professional, but that's who I am. People know I have an addiction that I can't get rid of. They can judge me because I talk about it openly. I really don't recommend anyone to start smoking. It's one of my weaknesses and I admit it."
Even Barcelona fans call out to him "Szczęsny Fumador", meaning "Szczęsny the smoker". At the first championship parade, the goalkeeper wore a straw hat that said "Fumador", and at the second, he sang his song with the fans.
"I never had my own song, so that's already surprising," he said in the interview. "I enjoyed it. I try to be as real as possible, and it seems people appreciate that."
Regarding the move to Barcelona, after he was sure he would retire, he noted:
"I reached a point where I didn't want to play football anymore. I didn't imagine anything would happen after 2024. Now I am experiencing one of the best periods of my career, and I am enjoying every moment. To some extent, I stopped loving football. I didn't enjoy playing anymore. I didn't enjoy getting up in the morning for training. I had one year left on my contract at Juventus, which at some point was no longer able to fulfill it financially. When I really settled down and was happy at home in Marbella, this opportunity came along. I think it was just too big to pass up."
The goalkeeper added: "I was already a retired footballer, and now I get to experience such a beautiful moment. I feel a bit like one of the fans who is on the pitch. I really treat this as a bonus to my career. I will make the most of it, I will enjoy it in the way I like to enjoy things, and it seems that it is perceived as authentic by people. I definitely feel the love that is returned to me, just as I fell in love with this place and this football club."
