Pretty sure it is true that he smokes also im not sure if Berba smokes but there has been pictures off him smoking.

Ashley Cole smokes as well

Balotelli smoking is not comparable with Mutu sniffing cocaine for the simple reason that smoking cigarettes is not illegal.
Mancini may well not like it if Balotelli smokes but it is his choice whether he wants to do it or not. And as long as he's not doing anything illegal, Balotelli is free to do what he wants. Which is how it should be.
You have actually hit on something that really bugs me. I'm an ex-smoker and I know what its like on other side of the fence. If you smoke, you are made to feel like a criminal even though you haven't broken any laws.

n.b. I don't know if Balotelli smokes or not, however for the purposes of this post I am working on the assumption he does.

Vialli used to smoke when he was at Chelsea.

I would imagine you'd be surprised how many players smoke then! Maybe not 20 a day like the old days, but still.......I seem to remember a picture of Rooney smoking last year as well.

Zidane smoked 20 a day throughout his career, ginola also smoked. Mutu doing cocaine - you can't really compare that, can you?!

Damien Duff is a well known smoker even when at Chelsea. Rooneys been caught smoking a few times as has Willy Gallas and Nicolas Bendtner. Not a big deal IMO.

Smoking a few a day would be worse for your game than the ocassional bit of Charlie I think. Not sure how often Mutu was doing it, of course if it became a habit then yes, big problems.

Bluedroog,

I was coming more from the point of view of one being an illegal substance, one not, so the implications on image and sponsors.

Smoking is actually beneficial for an athletes performance, if they are preparing for high altitude training.

The suggestion that smoking effects your game more than cocaine is laughably ignorant you total tool x

Blueboy, i dont think he was complaining about smoking as a whole more the fact that it could effect the players performance etc.

blueboy, I quit smoking 4 weeks ago I do not really know enough from physio point of view, but my own football form was getting consistently worse when I smoked, even one smoke less than 24 hours before a game affected lungs and breathing significantly.

X: I wasnt suggesting anything like that, learn to read critically, or think for a start.

Alex...zidane, he did put forward the argument smoking was comparable to mutu sniffing and was a breach of contract.
To me this is an example of how you are demonised if you choose to smoke cigarettes.

comment by steryd (U12151) posted 3 minutes ago

blueboy, I quit smoking 4 weeks ago I do not really know enough from physio point of view, but my own football form was getting consistently worse when I smoked, even one smoke less than 24 hours before a game affected lungs and breathing significantly.


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Steryd, 3 months for me .
I accept smoking can have an effect on physical performance it was just where you suggested it as a breach of contract that got my goat.

Well it doesn't enhance performance. Footballers as rich as they are seemed to have restrictions on them. Let em smoke.

I quit last Saturday so I know what you all mean, smoking significantly reduces your performance. I feel a lot better since I quit.

Manchester city are a pathetic excuse of a team, clubs should be run in the proper way, like us. Mancini is a top, top person though, it must be said.

Who's manager is up in court for alleged tax evasion this month Spu ds, a class all their own

Robert Prosinecki, Zidane, Cryuff, Vialli, Hamann, Paul Robinson (GK), Rooney, Cole Macheda, Barthez, Bilic, Cole, Berbatov, Lee Naylor, Chris Burke, Henrik Larsson, and apparently fat ronaldo liked a puff too.

Ozil is a well known smoker and he also drinks

i heard that mario only smokes after shex

i used to smoke ON the pitch and it didn't affect my performance at all.

Of course Zidane smoked; he was French...

I read once that Rooney smokes.

rooney thinks smokey bacon means he smokes...

i wouldn't be surprised to hear that rooney likes a good old **ag