Wojciech Szczesny Opens Up About Smoking Struggles in Candid ESPN Interview
Despite his struggles, Szczesny emphasized his commitment to honesty, particularly when it comes to his role as a goalkeeper.
Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Photo/BBC.
By Robert Assad
In a revealing interview with ESPN, Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny shared his personal battle with smoking, offering a rare glimpse into the challenges he faced as a young athlete.
The 35-year-old Polish international admitted to losing his fight against the habit early in his career, a struggle that began when he was “very young” and sought to create a “negative for me” to cope with the pressures of professional football.
“I’ve lost the fight,” Szczesny confessed. “When I was very young, I created a habit that is very negative for me. And I know it is. I just lose against it, you know. So for anybody watching: Don’t do what I did.”
Despite his struggles, Szczesny emphasized his commitment to honesty, particularly when it comes to his role as a goalkeeper. “I’m just a goalkeeper. I have to catch a ball and kick it. It’s much, much easier to keep up with your previous interviews if you’re just honest and you never lie and you’re just open,” he said.
This transparency extends to how he handles questions about his smoking. “You ask me a question, I answer the question as honestly as I can. You know, there are things I would rather not talk about. The subject that we mentioned, I would rather not talk about it,” he added, acknowledging his discomfort but choosing to address the topic head-on.
Szczesny also expressed a desire to set a better example for others. “But if somebody asks me, yeah [I smoke]. But I would rather not have the question because I don’t want to be a bad example,” he admitted. His candidness sheds light on the pressures athletes face and the importance of mental health support in professional sports.
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