You Wont Believe What Arsene Wenger Did As A Youth Before Becoming Coach

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he used to sell cigarettes as a youth while growing up in France.

The issue of cigarettes was resurrected this week after reports surfaced that the club's goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny was fined €25,500 for smoking in the showers after their 2-0 defeat to Southampton on New Year's Day.

And this week an image of Wenger smoking in the dugout during his time with Monaco starting circulating, in the advent of Szczesny.

"I grew up in a pub. You could not see to the window because of the smoke and I spent my youth selling cigarettes," he told reporters.

"I have grown up in a period when I had to accomplish military service. At the end of the month, we got paid by cigarettes. It incited us to smoke. When I was a young boy I grew up surrounded by smokers and I smoked myself when I became a young coach.

"The other day, on French television, they showed me on the bench smoking a cigarette. I didn't even think it was me. At that time, I remember Marcelo Lippi at Juventus smoked a cigar during the whole game in every game."

And the Frenchman admitted that he smoked because of stress: "Yes, of course."

"I'm sure there are some top athletes who smoke," he noted, "but it is not a good example.

"It depends how much. The best is you don't smoke. It's an eternal subject whether you are a role model but, at the end of the day, if you make a good pass on the football pitch that is what people want to see."