Arda Turan

Arda Turan — Biography

Arda Turan is an Istanbul-born footballer who became one of Turkish football's best-known left-wingers and attacking midfielders with Galatasaray, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona before moving into coaching. He retired from playing in September 2022 and now coaches the Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk, where he is credited as the first Turkish manager to lead a European club to a league title.

He began playing at Altıntepsi Makelspor in Bayrampaşa and joined Galatasaray's academy at 12. After a half-season on loan at Manisaspor he came back, won the Süper Lig in 2007-08, and in 2009, aged 22, became the club's youngest captain. In 2011 he joined Atlético Madrid for 12 million euros, then the highest fee paid for a Turkish player going abroad; he won the Europa League, the Copa del Rey and La Liga, and in 2014 his goal against Chelsea took Atlético into the Champions League final. In 2015 he signed for Barcelona for 34 million euros; a transfer ban meant his debut came only in January 2016, and he won trophies including La Liga and the Club World Cup. He was later loaned to Başakşehir before returning to Galatasaray.

Debuting for Turkey in 2006, he earned 100 caps with 17 goals, captained the side, and stood out at Euro 2008, where Turkey reached the semi-finals, with a last-minute goal against Switzerland. In 2014 he was the only Turkish player in The Guardian's list of the world's 100 best footballers, ranked 38th.