On 9 August 2011 Atlético de Madrid announced the signing of Arda Turan from Galatasaray for around €12 million plus add-ons. It was his first move outside Turkey. Born on 30 January 1987 in the Fatih district of Istanbul, the midfielder had played on the wing and as an attacking midfielder at home. In Madrid he won four trophies in four seasons, in 2015 he joined FC Barcelona, and in 2022 he retired. The following year he began coaching.
Youth career and early years at Galatasaray
He started out at Altıntepsi Makelspor in 1999-2000 and joined the Galatasaray academy in 2000. He made his first-team debut on 22 January 2005 in a Turkish Cup match against Bursaspor, and the club went on to win the cup that season. He spent the second half of 2005-06 on loan at Manisaspor, playing 15 league matches and scoring 2 goals. Back in Istanbul he became a regular starter, won the 2007-08 Süper Lig and captained the side from 2009 to 2011. He left with 197 appearances and 45 goals in all competitions.
Atlético de Madrid (2011-2015)
His La Liga debut came on 28 August 2011, off the bench against Osasuna. In his first season Atlético won the 2011-12 Europa League, and in August 2012 they added the UEFA Super Cup. The Copa del Rey followed in May 2013, with the final won against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. In 2014 Diego Simeone’s side won La Liga 2013-14 and reached the Champions League final, which they lost to Real Madrid in Lisbon. Turan was known for his patient ball-carrying and his dribbling in tight spaces, and he was a fixture in Atlético’s midfield across those four years. He played 178 competitive matches for the club and scored 22 goals.
FC Barcelona (2015-2018)
On 6 July 2015 FC Barcelona announced his signing for €34 million plus €7 million in variables. Because a FIFA ban prevented the club from registering players, he had to wait six months to play. He made his debut on 6 January 2016 in the Copa del Rey against Espanyol, and three days later played his first league match, against Granada. That same season he won the 2015-16 league and Copa del Rey double. He added the Spanish Super Cup in 2016 and another Copa del Rey in 2017. For Barcelona he made 55 appearances and scored 15 goals.
Loan to İstanbul Başakşehir (2018-2020)
In January 2018 Barcelona loaned him to İstanbul Başakşehir for the rest of the 2017-18 season and two more seasons. He made his debut on 21 January 2018 against Bursaspor. The loan ended early when the Turkish club terminated it on 7 January 2020. During his time there he made 42 appearances and scored 2 goals.
Return to Galatasaray and retirement
After leaving Barcelona in 2020, he signed for Galatasaray on 5 August that year. In his second spell at his boyhood club he made 46 appearances and scored 4 goals. On 12 September 2022 he announced his retirement on social media.
Turkey national team
He won his first senior cap on 16 August 2006, in a 1-0 friendly win over Luxembourg. His first international goal came on 25 May 2008 against Uruguay, weeks before Euro 2008. At that tournament he scored twice and Turkey reached the semi-finals. At Euro 2016 he was captain and wore the number 10 shirt. He finished his international career with 100 caps and 17 goals. The hundredth was a 3-0 defeat to Iceland in October 2017.
Coaching career
On 14 April 2023 he took charge of Eyüpspor, who were then in the Turkish second tier. On 7 April 2024 the team secured their first promotion to the Süper Lig, and they finished 2023-24 as TFF First League champions. The club announced his departure on 25 May 2025, and two days later Shakhtar Donetsk named him head coach. On 10 May 2026, after a 4-0 win over Poltava in the 27th round, Shakhtar clinched the 2025-26 Ukrainian Premier League, the club’s sixteenth league title.
Shakhtar Donetsk