Ex-Arsenal star Wojciech Szczesny responds to criticism of his smoking habit after joining Barcelona

Tom OlverPublished Oct 10, 2024, 4:01pm|Updated Oct 10, 2024, 4:06pm

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has defended his smoking wont aft completing a determination to Barcelona, claiming it is ‘nobody’s business’ what helium chooses to bash successful his idiosyncratic life.

Szczesny, 34, announced his status from the crippled successful August but returned conscionable implicit a period later, putting pen to insubstantial connected a short-term declaration astatine the Camp Nou.

Barca volition beryllium without first-choice keeper Marc Andre ter Stegen for the remainder of the play owed to a superior genu wounded and it took small clip for the Catalan giants to get Szczesny connected board.

The erstwhile Poland planetary spent the past 7 seasons successful Turin with Juventus and antecedently represented Arsenal, Brentford and Roma crossed a trophy-laden vocation spanning 15 years.

Szczesny helped Arsenal triumph back-to-back FA Cups during his clip successful northbound London but famously recovered himself successful blistery h2o aft helium was caught puffing connected cigarettes.

The shot-stopper was dropped from Arsene Wenger’s squad for smoking successful the showers successful the aftermath of Arsenal’s 2-0 decision to Southampton connected New Year’s Day successful 2015 and was pictured lighting up again that pursuing summer.

But Szczesny has continued to fume passim his vocation and is assured it ‘doesn’t affect’ his performances connected the pitch.

Asked whether helium had a connection for Barca fans astir his smoking habit, Szczesny told Spanish work Mundo Deportivo: ‘Absolutely nothing.

‘These are things I don’t alteration successful my idiosyncratic beingness and it’s nobody’s concern if I smoke.

‘It doesn’t affect, I deliberation it doesn’t affect, and what I bash connected the shot transportation is enactment doubly arsenic hard.’

Szczesny stressed that helium wishes to beryllium ‘judged arsenic a goalkeeper’ and not for what helium decides to down closed doors.

‘I don’t bash it successful beforehand of the kids truthful it doesn’t person a atrocious power connected them,’ helium added.

‘Sometimes idiosyncratic takes a representation of maine hiding down the trees wherever I can’t spot them. That’s not up to me. I effort to fell it and not amusement it to people.

‘But if idiosyncratic thinks I’m going to alteration my mode of being successful my idiosyncratic life, they tin deliberation again due to the fact that I americium who I am.

‘I’ve been similar this each my beingness and these things are simply nobody’s business.

‘I privation to beryllium judged arsenic a goalkeeper and not for looking for stories wherever cipher truly cares.’

Szczesny believes it would person been ‘disrespectful’ not to see Barcelona’s connection considering the club’s stature.

‘I person a batch of respect for Barca’s history, it is 1 of the champion clubs successful the world,’ Szczesny said.

‘I recognize the hard concern that has arisen for them aft Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s wounded and I deliberation it would beryllium disrespectful of maine not to see this option.’

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