Ex Inter Milan and AS Roma Star Radja Nainggolan Indefinitely Suspended for Smoking on the Bench

• Former Inter Milan and AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan has been indefinitely suspended after he was caught smoking on the bench
• The club released a statement, saying they had a conversation with the veteran midfielder before expelling him from the first team
• The police recently stopped the 34-year-old Belgian player for driving without a licence

Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp has suspended former Inter Milan and AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan for smoking on the bench.

The Belgian was caught having a quick smoke during a recent league fixture, with the club releasing a statement saying they have expelled the midfielder from the first team.

An image of Naiggolan smoking on the bench has been circulating on Twitter.

The Belgian recently grabbed the headlines after Belgian police stopped him for driving without a licence. The club did not make a comment about the incident.

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However, his latest actions seem to have gone too far, and the club chiefs decided to take firm actions to punish the veteran midfielder, according to the Mirror.

Nainggolan was a substitute in Royal Antwerp's match away at Standard Liege this past Sunday in the Belgian Pro League, a game they lost 3-0. He managed to sneak in a quick smoke of his e-cigarette before kick-off.

Nainggolan suspended by Antwerp

The club statement said they had a conversation with the veteran before suspending him:

"The club had a conversation with Radja Nainggolan about his general behaviour and how this affects the club and the team."

"The club has decided to expel Radja from team A indefinitely. Neither the player nor the club will make any further comments on this," the statement continued.

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The former Belgium international has never hidden his smoking habit and said the club suspending him was too harsh through his Instagram, according to The Sun.

"The club has made a decision I can only accept, even though I think it might be a bit too severe for me. But I will try to contribute in one way or another."

In 2019, he left Inter Milan to join Cagliari on loan. He made the decision in order to stay close to his wife, who was diagnosed with cancer, according to Sportbible.

Footballers who smoke occasionally

Sports Brief earlier reported on the football personalities who smoke or quit smoking, with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Mario Balotelli and Maurizio Sarri on the list.

Most clubs discourage their players from smoking, since it affects performance and also is a major risk for lung cancer.

Athletes are known to lead healthy lifestyles because of the nature of their job, but others have found it hard to shake off the habit.