What really happened with Wenger after I was caught smoking - Szczesny

Juventus goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, has spoken up about the smoking incident that cost him a place in the Arsenal ranks.

The former Roma keeper was fined and dropped by Arsene Wenger for smoking in the showers after a 2-0 defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day and he almost never played for the Gunners again afterwards.

Szczesny, who was the first-choice goalie, lost his place to David Ospina, who enjoyed a good run during the suspension of the Polish star, leading to a loan move to Italy.

Reflecting on the incident five years after, the Polish has revealed that there was no major burst up with Wenger.

"Back at that time I was smoking regularly and the boss knew it very well," Szczesny told the Arsenal Nation podcast. "He just didn't want anybody smoking in the dressing rooms and I knew that also.

"Because of the emotion of the game, I had a cigarette after the game when the team was still in. I went in the corner of the showers, so it was at the other end of the dressing room and nobody could see me, and I lit one up.

"Somebody saw me, it wasn't even the boss himself, and just reported it back to the boss. I saw him a couple of days later, he asked me if that was true and I said, 'yes'. He fined me and that was the end of it.


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"He then said, 'Look, you're going to be out of the team for a little bit' but there was no big bust-ups or big confrontations. I was very professional about it.

"I was fully expecting to be back in the team a few weeks later but we had a good run of form and David Ospina, who came in goal, played really well for those few games. He stayed in.

"That meant I was waiting and trying to win my place back in the team, or trying to convince him that I was still the best goalkeeper at the club by going out on loan. That sounds strange but sometimes it's the best way of doing it."

The 30-year-old spent two years on loan at Roma before joining Juventus in a permanent deal in the summer of 2017.