Top 10 Smoking Football Managers

10. Sam Allardyce It is no secret that Big Sam always enjoyed a puff on the bench. Fans even claim to have seen him post-match in the hotel, wearing nothing more than a bath robe while smoking a big cigar with a glass of red wine in his hand at the time.9. Zdenek Zeman He’s managed 19 clubs, mostly in Italian football, and most of his players would vouch for the fact that Zeman barely opened his mouth while on the sidelines; well except to smoke another cigarette. Zeman looked less like a manager and more like that kid at school who hung around in the shadows, dragging on a crafty roll up and mumbling on about Nick Cave.8. Gianluca Vialli While on one hand, Vialli does admit to the evils of smoking; on the other, he also claims that it’s a healthier alternative to getting drunk every night.During his playing career, Vialli was caught smoking many-a-times after being substituted. It is also rumoured that during the 1990 World Cup, he was spotted trying to smoke sneakily next to the bench.7. Ricardo Lavolpe Lavolpe’s smoking habits came into the limelight during his term as Mexico’s manager. He was warned by FIFA for smoking during Mexico’s 2006 World Cup opening game against Iran. Lavolpe responded by telling FIFA that he’d rather give up football than smoking.He did, however, quit smoking and began tucking into donuts instead. He candidly described how much he enjoyed it, adding that if he was drinking on the job it might affect his managerial skills, but that no-one has been dismissed for being “smoked-out and disorderly”6. Slaven Bilic Low-life Mafia style suits, chain-smoking on the touchline and member of a thrash metal band called Rawbau – Slaven Bilic is probably one of the coolest managers ever.He was even issued a warning by the Turkish Football Federation after being caught smoking inside the football stadium, despite the no-smoking ban.5. Marcello Lippi Lippi has been smoking since his mid-teens, and it doesn’t seem as if he would be kicking the habit anytime soon. Cigarettes have now paved the way to cigars, and Lippi was seen chomping on a cigar after winning the 2006 World Cup final.4. Carlo Ancelloti Ancelloti began smoking at the age of 25, and he hasn’t managed to kick the habit as yet. He was even reprimanded for smoking on the bench when he visited Celtic as manager of AC Milan in 2007.“Until three years ago in Italy you could smoke on the bench,” he explains.“I used to like that, although I remember one time, when we were playing Ajax in the Champions League quarter-final in 2003, we scored in the last minute, and Gennaro Gattuso jumps off the bench and grabs me from behind. I nearly swallowed the thing.”3. Joachim LoewThe Germany manager had critics hounding him for smoking during Germany’s 3-2 victory over Portugal.“What can I say? That’s my personal business. I sometimes smoke a cigarette or have a glass of red wine in the evening. That is nothing outrageous,” Loew said.2. Johan Cruyff“Football has given me everything in this life; tobacco almost took it all away.”Cruyff smoked 20 cigarettes a day until he underwent a double heart bypass surgery after the cigarettes and stress caught up with him. To help him give up on smoking, Chupa Chups Group, a Barcelona-based confectioner, sent him a box of lollipops.1. Diego Maradona Maradona has been caught on camera smoking several times. Even after kicking his drug habit, Maradona has made the headlines a number of times.But be it cigars or cigarettes, it doesn’t seem as if this football legend will be giving up on his smoking habits anytime soon.

Top ten smoking footballers

There are many smoking footballers around the globe, but here is a shortlist of the top 10 smoking footballers;
Mesut Ozil
Smoking clearly hasn’t hampered Mesut Ozil. With five assists and a goal in his first five games for Arsenal, he seems to be doing okay. Ozil also ran 11.63 kilometres in the Gunners’ UEFA Champions League victory over Napoli – the third most of any Arsenal player.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney has regularly been pictured smoking, and the Manchester United forward has often been accused of not being at peak fitness for a footballer of his level.

  Robert Prosinecki
The former Croatia international was famous in his homeland for being a heavy smoker. He was as well known for his ability to chug away on more than 40 ciggies a day as he was for his midfield prowess. When he joined Portsmouth in 2001 word is that he cut down to 20 a day. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he lasted just one season at Fratton Park.

Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov is probably the worst role model out there in terms of dissuading people to start smoking

Zinedine Zidane
Another Frenchie caught with a salmon between his lips was Zidane, who was snapped puffing away ahead of France's 2006 World Cup semi-final against Portugal. The thing is Zizou fronted an anti-smoking campaign in 2002. Doh!

  Maradona
Maradona, one of the most prolific footballers in history, began to smoke after he retired from the game. He spent 10 days in intensive care in 2004 with breathing problems, which was probably down to smoking.
  Johann Cruyff
Cruyff was smoking 20 cigarettes a day, prior to heart surgery in 1991, at a time when he was coaching Barcelona. He was also often seen lighting up in the RFK locker room as he talked to reporters. Nowadays, the legendary Dutchman fronts a campaign by the Health Department of the Catalan autonomous government against smoking. And to think, it only took him a double heart bypass to see the error of his ways.
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli has always been somewhat of a maverick, a loose cannon who Jose Mourinho described as unmanageable.
The Italy international also enjoyed a cigarette on plenty of occasions, which former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini wasn’t a huge fan of, but would allow if he found the back of the net consistently.

  Fabien Barthez
The Frenchman was a high-profile smoker during his time in the Prem. After a game for Man United against Southampton in 2003, defeated manager Gordon Strachan was furious when he returned to his non-smoking office and found cigarettes stubbed out in an ashtray. It seemed that the injured Barthez had been in the room after being stretchered off in the second half. Strachan later quipped that he "must have been taken off for smoker's cough".
  David James
The Portsmouth and England stopper confessed to a 15 year 20-a-day smoking habit in a newspaper column in 2008. "I spent most of my career puffing away on fags: after training,before matches and after.     Other notable football smokers are ashley cole, socerate paul gascogine, teddy sherigham,jack wilshere. many believe lionel messi is also a smoker, but the claim was wrong as he was spotted with a stick candy .

The Top 10 Worst Haircuts In Football History

Footballers are icons to fans. So many young kids see their favorite footballers on television and want to be like them. This translates into fashion too. People want to be like them, dress like them and have hair like their favorite stars. 

Let's just hope that no kids are looking at these guys before their next haircut...

1. Alexi Lalas

The ex-USA international captain made his most famous appearance in the World Cup of 1994. Where he was made famous forever but not for his football skills. For this terrible monstrosity of a hair 'do'...

2. Taribo West

Taribo West, the Nigerian international defender was famous for wearing his teams colours on hair. When the Super Eagles went to the World Cup, Taribo shocked the world with this work of art.

3. Ronaldo

There is no denying that the 'original Ronaldo' was one of the all time great players in the history of football. You could also argue that his ridiculous haircut from 2002 was one of the worst in human history. Did he forget to do front?

4. Carlos Valderamma

If you saw him play, you wouldn't forget him. Carlos Valderamma, an ex-Colombian international midfielder was also a very capable player. This blonde perm however, which followed him throughout  his career, must have helped and scared a few defenders along the way.

5. Chris Waddle

I hear it was the style of the time but Chris Waddle out-did himself with this mullet. It was a toss up between him and Gazza for this spot but seen as though Gazza didn't blaze a penalty over the bar against the Germans, Waddle rightly takes his place.

6. Jason Lee

It takes some footballers years to have a 'fan chant' named after them. It only took Jason Lee one appearance with the stupendous set of locks for supporters to forever sing "You've got a pineapple on your head!"

7. Andy Carroll

Poor Andy seems to be on everyone's 'Worst Ever Articles.' Well Andy my advice would be to get a decent haircut and start putting the ball in the back of the net. Then maybe everyone wouldn't be calling you rubbish.

8. Rene Higuita

Rene Higuita is more famous for his legendary scorpion kick in a friendly against England all those years ago. Another Colombian with a terrible hairdresser. Someone should have really told him.

9. Gervinho

Gervinho came to England in a blaze of glory after winning the French Ligue 1 with Lille. His move to Arsenal has been somewhat underwhelming but his side-parted-dreadlocks are nothing but sheer genius.

10. Abel Xavier

The Portuguese defender spent some time in England with Middlesbrough, Everton and Liverpool (I have no idea how?). Another one that was not actually known for his clinical defending, more for having a 'glow in the dark' haircut.

Honorable mentions: Mario Ballotelli,Raul Meirales,David Luis,Djibril Cisse, Aristide Bance,