jd82 VM - you appear to be insistent that smoking will have no effect on his performance, which is utter nonsence.
It is entirely possible for him to be a smoker and still be a top level pro, but to say his performances wouldn't be affected is laughable.
Smoking reduces VO2 Max, which in turn reduces the capacity for exercise before lactate threshold is reached.
There is theory and there is practice.
As earlier posters have said it didn't seem to affect two of the greatest players ever in Zidane and Cruyff.
Don't get me wrong, I gave up smoking at 25 and it is one of the best things I ever did but my view is that it is more likely to affect him later on and not now.
My dad was one of the fittest people around in his 20s but the effect of 40 per day plus a pipe did him no favours and he died of lung cancer at 62.