Barcelona star insists he won't quit smoking as behaviour branded 'unacceptable'

Barcelona FC goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny insists he will not be forced to give up smoking. The former Arsenal star has been criticised in Spain due to his status as a role model to aspiring footballers and a top-level professional at one of the world’s biggest clubs.

Szczesny was lured out of retirement by Barca earlier this month after a serious injury to Marc-Andre ter Stegen left them scrambling to find emergency cover between the sticks.

The 34-year-old took most by surprise when he hung up his boots at the end of last season following a seven-year spell at Juventus, but his time away from the sport proved to be only temporary. Szczesny also played 181 games for Arsenal and made 84 appearances for the Polish national team.

Despite his glittering CV and impressive list of achievements, Szczesny has smoked throughout his career and is not tempted to stop.

“There are things that I don’t change in my personal life and it’s nobody’s business if I smoke,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “I believe that it doesn’t affect what I do on the pitch, I work twice as hard.

“I don’t do it in front of kids because I don’t want to have a bad influence on them. Sometimes somebody will take a photo from the trees where I have a cigarette, that’s on them, not on me. If somebody thinks that I will change the way I am in my personal life they can think again because I am who I am. I’ve been this way my whole life.”

The comments have not washed with many Barca fans and pundits, who demand high standards from the club’s players on and off the pitch. One prominent TV personality in Spain, Lluis Carrasco, ‘did not like Szczesny’s statement at all’ and branded his behaviour ‘unacceptable’.

Reserve goalkeeper Inaki Pena has been holding the fort for Barca while Szczesny gets up to speed. It remains to be seen whether the Pole is deemed ready for action after the international break.

The Catalan giants have made an exceptional start under new manager Hansi Flick, winning eight of their first nine La Liga games this season to build up a three-point buffer over bitter rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table.

Their 3-0 win at Alaves last time out followed a thumping 5-0 victory at home to Young Boys in the Champions League. Though Szczesny’s focus will be on the other end of the pitch, Barca cannot stop scoring this campaign, having found the net more than three times per league game on average.