IF Czech Republic’s Euro 2020 qualifying hopes go up in smoke, their midfielder Jakub Jankto might be the one to blame.
The Sampdoria star has became his country’s main man, driving their attacks forward in the No.10 role.
Instagram @cartel_lounge
But the Premier League target also has a unusual sideline – owning his own hookah bar.
Jankto, 23, opened up Cartel Lounge in Prague last October, and it’s quickly become quite the hotspot for hipster Czechs.
The Serie A schemer, who was linked with Arsenal and Chelsea last summer and is likely to start against England on Friday, even popped in himself during the winter break.
While his international teammate Patrik Schick also dropped by back in January.
WHAT CAN YOU DO THERE?
Cartel Lounge is primarily for shisha lovers, and smokers can sample various flavours of tobacco from watermelon, mint and apple – smoking them all in a shisha pipe.
There’s also an option for customers to enjoy nicotine-free tobacco, if that’s their preference.
It can cost around £15 for an hours’ session for a couple of people, and goes up in price for larger groups.
But aside from smoking, Cartel Lounge is a social spot for gamers, drinkers and schmoozers.
They have a karaoke night, a game night where punters play FIFA 19 and you can also settle down for a spot of Monopoly.
Instagram @cartel_lounge
Instagram @cartel_lounge
And because it’s owned by a footballer, it’s a great place to watch sport.
Recently, Cartel Lounge showed the UFC 235 event on their big screen for punters.
There is a full bar menu serving everything from cocktails to wine, and coffee.
IT’S BECOME A FOOTBALLERS’ PASTIME
Jankto, like many other footballers, isn’t the only athlete to enjoy smoking a shisha pipe.
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil was spied buying his own shisha pipe in 2015, and has been spotted puffing on a hookah in cafes in the past.
The same year Jack Wilshere was pictured holding a shisha pipe on a night out with pals in London.
And more recently, Man City striker Sergio Aguero was seen puffing on a shisha pipe with Instagram pin-up Lola Magnin in a video she shared in 2018.
WHAT IS SHISHA SMOKING?
Shisha smoking, sometimes labelled hookah, narghile, waterpipe, or hubble bubble smoking, originated in India in the 15th century and was originally practiced by the affluent.
Instagram @cartel_lounge
Instagram @cartel_lounge
Instagram @cartel_lounge
It’s a way of smoking tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar through a bowl and a tube.
On top of the tube is a mouthpiece, through which the user can inhale the smoke from the substances being burnt.
BUT ISN’T IT BAD FOR YOU?
The British Heart Foundation certainly think so.
A statement on their website reads: “The average shisha-smoking session lasts an hour and research has shown that in this time you can inhale the same amount of smoke as from more than 100 cigarettes.
“Some people mistakenly think that shisha smoking is not addictive because the water used in the pipe can absorb nicotine.
“In reality, because only some of the nicotine is absorbed by the water, shisha smokers are still exposed to enough nicotine to cause an addiction.
“Shisha, herbal or otherwise, usually contains tobacco. Fruit or herbal flavours do not mean the product is healthy.
“Even if you use tobacco-free shisha, you’re still at risk from the carbon monoxide and any toxins in the coal or charcoal used to burn the shisha.”
Getty Images – Getty
Getty – Contributor
Instagram @jakubjanktojr
