A Paris Saint Germain fan seemingly caught Italian midfielder Marco Verratti smoking when meeting him outside the club’s training ground.
A video emerged online showing Verratti posing for pictures from inside his car, and then a fan kindly reminded the midfielder by saying: “Next time hide your cigarette”.
Verratti nodded with a slight smirk before winding up his car window. You can watch the footage here.
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Though we cannot see him physically smoking in the video, he has been caught with a cigarette before.
French football expert Julien Laurens has previously spoken about Verratti’s antics off the field, which makes him different to many other top players in world football.
Whilst many would prefer a much quieter, healthier lifestyle, Verratti likes to enjoy himself when he steps off the pitch.
He has been pictured out in Paris enjoying the best things the city has to offer.
Laurens said at the time: “Last week he was partying until 6am for Neymar's birthday, because he smokes, because he drinks because he's out almost every day of the week.
“I think if he had the lifestyle of Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, the work ethic of him, I don't know where he would be in terms of world-class midfielders.
“But the ability he has combined with the lifestyle that he has at the moment and yet still being able to put out a performance like tonight is just incredible.”
In 2020, Verratti was pictured on holiday with Victoria’s Secret model Izabel Goulart in St Tropez and was seen smoking a cigarette on the street.
Verratti himself previously spoke about his off field activities and the stories that came after.
He told Le Parisien in 2019: “We play football, but sometimes people forget that we are also human beings. We get days off, we can go out with our friends, with family.
“What I hate is when people have unchangeable ideas of me. But honestly, I don’t really care. Everyone is free to think what they want. You can judge me on the things I do on the pitch, what I can bring to the team. But not off of it.
“I always hear that I am injured because of my lifestyle… When I injured my ankle (in January) that had nothing to do with it, a player takes my foot away. Things are said about me, said about others, that are truly rubbish.”
Despite all the noise around his private life, Verratti is without doubt one of the best midfielders of his generation and has been vital for both PSG and Italy in the last few years.
Topics: Paris Saint-Germain, Marco Verratti, Italy
Marcus Chan