Jack Wilshere, who was highly anticipated as Arsenal’s future, was photographed smoking in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, goalkeeper Wojciech Shuchesney was caught smoking in the dressing room following a fatal mistake against Southampton. It was a series of smoking problems at Arsenal under Arsen Wenger, who is known for his strict fitness and diet of his players.
Olivier Giroud, then a member of Arsenal, had an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe about this. Giroud said he was “unshocked” by the controversy between Wilshire and Szczesny and said smoking was rampant in football. “There are four to five players at each club,” he said.
To be honest, I was surprised to see Giroud’s interview. I couldn’t believe that so many professional players still smoke in the best league. Among the players and coaches who played in the past, there were quite a few players who were frustrated. Representative goalkeepers are Johan Cruyff of the Netherlands, which symbolizes soccer in the 1970s, and Socrates, who represented Brazilian soccer in the 1980s. Notably, Socrates was a licensed pediatrician but smoked two packs of cigarettes a day.
While writing about soccer and smoking, I had a question. It made me wonder who the best goalie in soccer would be. Of course, there is no accurate and official record on this. However, after hard research, I found the most likely one. The main character is Maurizio Sarri, who is from Italy and currently the head of Lazio, after coaching Napoli, Chelsea and Juventus.
When he was a manager at Serie A’s Napoli, Sarri enjoyed smoking at a touchline in a soccer field. However, he had to find another way to play in an English football field where smoking is banned. During the game, Sarri chewed cigarettes instead of smoking cigarettes. In response, BBC’s famous soccer program Match of the Day tweeted to Sarri, “Do you eat cigarettes now?”
So how many cigarettes did they smoke? There are expressions ‘light smoker’ and ‘heavy smoker’ in English. Usually, if you smoke less than 10 cigarettes a day, it’s light, and a person who smokes more than one pack is called heavy. Heavy people often smoke a line, which is called a ‘chain smoker’. 메이저 토토사이트
Various foreign media reported on his daily cigarette consumption. However, depending on the media, Sarri’s smoking volume fluctuates. Some articles claim that they smoke 60 cigarettes a day, while others claim that they smoke 80 cigarettes. There was even an article that said that they smoke up to 100 cigarettes a day. In sum, it is concluded that he smokes at least 60 to 100 cigarettes a day. Suppose that 14 hours a day is given to Sarri except for sleep, meals, and shower time. In order to consume 100 cigarettes, he has to make one every eight minutes.
Let me introduce some controversies over saris and cigarettes. In February 2018, Sari’s Napoli met RB Leipzig in the Europa League. Leipzig created a temporary smoking space for Saris only in its home stadium, Red Bull Arena, which cost 1,200 euros. Many fans may remember Ronaldo’s “no-show” during Juventus’ match in Korea in July 2019. Saris, who visited Korea at the time, caused controversy by smoking in a non-smoking area at Incheon International Airport and signing autographs for Korean fans with a cigarette in his mouth.
Sarri’s stench from smoking was tough on the players as well. Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus’ “master defender” and former captain of the Italian national team, said in his autobiography, “After having a talk with Sarri, Juventus players had to take a shower to get rid of the smell of cigarettes.” As a result, players preferred to meet him after training while wearing sweaty training kits. After the shower, they had to wear clean clothes and take a shower once again when they met Sarri.
Similar to France, smoking has long been deeply rooted in Italian culture. In Italy, there is a philosophy that encompasses the way of life called “La dolce vita.” In English, it means “the sweet life,” which means to savor and enjoy every moment and experience to the fullest. Therefore, for Italians, fashion, art, delicious food, and social activities are important. As a result, smoking has naturally become a part of their lives at social gatherings in cafes and restaurants. In addition, there is an attractive view of lighting cigarettes and smoking in Italy.
Italian soccer players are also famous for their love of cigarettes. Marcello Lippi, the first coach to win both the Champions League and the World Cup, has always had a “cigar” in his mouth. Also, Carlo Ancelotti, who won four Champions League titles and has won all of Europe’s top five professional soccer leagues, is a famed goaltender. In addition, Gianluca Biali and Marco Verratti also regularly smoke.
Mario Balotelli, a genius, once made an absurd remark, saying, “I might smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, but I smoke only one pack because I am a professional player.” Some say that because of his smoking, he performed poorly, especially in Liverpool. Pictured here is a scene where Balotelli smokes during his vacation in Italy in 2016.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon celebrates while smoking a cigarette after reaching the Champions League final in May 2017. However, Buffon coincidentally suffered the humiliation of allowing Real Madrid four goals in the final. Nicolas Bentner, who was poor at Arsenal, was loaned to Juventus for the 2012-13 season. Bentner went out to look for his teammates because they were out of sight. He finally found 10 to 12 teammates in the bathroom while drinking coffee and enjoying a cigarette.
