Arda Turan facts for kids
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Turan with Turkey in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Arda Turan | ||
| Date of birth | 30 January 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Shakhtar Donetsk (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Altıntepsi Makelspor | ||
| 2000–2005 | Galatasaray | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2011 | Galatasaray | 130 | (29) |
| 2006 | → Manisaspor (loan) | 15 | (2) |
| 2011–2015 | Atlético Madrid | 127 | (13) |
| 2015–2020 | Barcelona | 36 | (5) |
| 2018–2020 | → Istanbul Başakşehir (loan) | 37 | (2) |
| 2020–2022 | Galatasaray | 39 | (4) |
| Total | 384 | (55) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002 | Turkey U16 | 10 | (2) |
| 2003–2004 | Turkey U17 | 30 | (3) |
| 2003–2005 | Turkey U18 | 11 | (2) |
| 2004–2006 | Turkey U19 | 17 | (6) |
| 2005 | Turkey U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2006 | Turkey U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2006–2017 | Turkey | 100 | (17) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2023–2025 | Eyüpspor | ||
| 2025– | Shakhtar Donetsk | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Arda Turan (born 30 January 1987) is a Turkish professional football manager. He is currently the head coach for the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.
During his time as a player, Arda Turan spent six years playing in Spain's top league, La Liga. He played for famous clubs like Atlético Madrid and Barcelona. He was known for his excellent ball control, dribbling skills, and ability to see the whole field. When he was just 22, he became the captain of Galatasaray.
After a great performance at UEFA Euro 2008, a Spanish magazine called Don Balón listed him as one of the "100 Best Young Football Players in the World" in 2008. In 2014, The Guardian newspaper ranked him 38th among the "100 Best Footballers in the World." He was the only Turkish player on that list. He was also nominated for the UEFA Team of the Year in 2014.
Arda Turan played 100 games for the Turkish national team and scored 17 goals. This makes him one of Turkey's most capped players ever.
Contents
Arda Turan's Club Career
Starting at Galatasaray
Arda Turan grew up playing football in the Galatasaray youth system. He joined the main Galatasaray team in the 2004–05 season. His first official game was in a Turkish Cup match on 22 January 2005. Later, he played on loan for Manisaspor during the second half of the 2005–06 season, where he scored two goals.
Galatasaray called Turan back for the 2006–07 season, and he quickly became a key player. During this time, he was first called to play for the senior national team. He helped Galatasaray get into the UEFA Champions League group stage the next season. In the 2007–08 season, he continued to improve, scoring seven goals.
At the start of the 2009–10 season, Arda Turan became the captain of Galatasaray. He was also given the number 10 jersey, which was a special number worn by famous players before him. As captain, he led his team to win six league games in a row, putting Galatasaray at the top of the league. In the 2010–11 season, he had some injuries, so he played fewer games. He played in 12 league matches, scoring two goals. His strong performances at Galatasaray made the Spanish club Atlético Madrid interested in him.
Playing for Atlético Madrid
On 9 August 2011, Arda Turan joined Atlético Madrid. This move made him the most expensive Turkish footballer at that time.
First Season: 2011–12
He wore the number 11 shirt. He played his first game in La Liga on 28 August 2011 against Osasuna, coming in as a substitute. He also played his first UEFA Europa League game on 15 September against Celtic, where he helped set up a goal. On 18 September, he started another game and provided two assists.
On 30 November, Turan scored his first goal for Atlético in a Europa League match against Celtic. On 11 December, he scored his first La Liga goal. He scored again in a Europa League win against Rennes. On 22 April 2012, he scored two goals in two minutes as Atlético beat Espanyol 3–1. On 9 May, in the 2012 UEFA Europa League Final against Athletic Bilbao, he helped his teammate Radamel Falcao score, making the score 2–0.
Second Season: 2012–13
Before the 2012–13 season, Turan's jersey number changed from 11 to 10. He started the season by scoring a long-distance goal in Atlético's 1–1 draw against Levante. He then helped Atlético win the 2012 UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea, assisting a goal in their 4–1 victory. On 16 September 2012, he scored a goal in a 4–3 home win against Rayo Vallecano.
Winning La Liga: 2013–14
Turan played a big part in Atlético's first two Champions League wins against Zenit Saint Petersburg and Porto, scoring a goal in each game. On 30 April 2014, he scored the final goal in a 3–1 win against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. This sent Atlético to the final for the first time since 1974.
Final Season at Atlético: 2014–15
On 13 September 2014, Turan came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal for Atlético in their 2–1 away win against rivals Real Madrid. His manager, Diego Simeone, praised his impact on the game. On 1 October 2014, Turan scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Juventus in the Champions League group stage. On 22 April, Turan was sent off in a Champions League quarter-final match against Real Madrid, which Atlético lost 0–1.
Moving to Barcelona
On 6 July 2015, Barcelona announced that they had signed Turan from Atlético. He signed a five-year contract. However, he could only start playing for Barcelona in January 2016 because of a transfer ban on the club. On 29 December 2015, Turan chose the number 7 shirt.
He made his debut on 6 January 2016 in a Derbi barceloní match against Espanyol in the Copa del Rey, which Barcelona won 4–1. Turan played his first Liga match with Barcelona on 9 January 2016 against Granada. The match ended 4–0, and Turan helped set up Lionel Messi's first goal. On 17 August 2016, Turan scored two goals as Barcelona beat Sevilla 3–0 to win the 2016 Supercopa de España 5–0 overall.
On 7 December 2016, Turan scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) for Barcelona during a Champions League group stage match against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He became one of only six players in Barcelona's history to score a hat-trick in the Champions League.
Loan to İstanbul Başakşehir
After not playing any games for Barcelona in the 2017–18 season, Arda Turan was loaned to the Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir in January 2018. He made his debut for the club on 21 January 2018, coming off the bench and scoring a goal in a 3–0 win over Bursaspor. On 7 January 2020, his loan ended early.
Returning to Galatasaray
On 5 August 2020, Galatasaray announced that Turan had signed a two-year deal to return to the club. He became the team's captain because the main goalkeeper was injured. He played his first official match of the 2020–21 season on 12 September against Gaziantep. In the 2021–22 season, he played only seven matches and did not score any goals.
Retiring as a Player
On 12 September 2022, Arda Turan announced on social media that he was retiring from playing football. He also released a video about his retirement.
Arda Turan's International Career
Arda Turan was a regular player for the Turkish national team, playing over 90 games. He first played for the senior team on 16 August 2006 in a friendly match against Luxembourg. He had previously played for Turkey's under-19 and under-21 teams. He scored his first international goal on 25 May 2008 in a friendly against Uruguay.
Turan played in nine of Turkey's 12 qualification matches for UEFA Euro 2008 and was a star player in the tournament itself. He scored two goals during Turkey's journey to the semi-finals. His first goal was a last-minute winner against co-hosts Switzerland. His second goal came against the Czech Republic, helping Turkey come back from 2–0 down to win the match. He also scored in the penalty shootout against Croatia in the quarter-finals, which sent Turkey to the semi-finals. They were eventually knocked out by Germany.
Turan scored two goals during the qualification rounds for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but Turkey did not qualify. He scored Turkey's 600th international goal in a 2010 World Cup qualification game against Estonia on 5 September 2009. He scored four goals for Turkey during the Euro 2012 qualification rounds, but Turkey did not make it to the final stages.
He played his 100th and final international game for Turkey in a 3–0 loss to Iceland national football team in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match in October 2017.
Arda Turan's Managerial Career
Leading Eyüpspor
On 14 April 2023, Arda Turan became the manager of TFF First League club Eyüpspor. His first game as manager was on 16 April, a 1–0 loss. On 7 April 2024, he led his club to get promoted to the Süper Lig for the first time in their history, after beating Altay 4–1. On the last day of the 2023–24 season, his team won the division title with a 4–0 away win against Erzurumspor.
On 25 May 2025, Turan announced that he would leave Eyüpspor as his contract ended.
Coaching Shakhtar Donetsk
On 27 May 2025, Arda Turan became the head coach of the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk. He signed a two-year contract.
Arda Turan Outside Football
On 16 November 2008, Turan had a health scare during a match but doctors said he was in good health and that extreme tiredness caused it. In November 2009, he had a mild case of swine flu but recovered quickly. In January 2009, he was in a car crash in Istanbul but only had minor cuts and bruises.
Arda Turan was engaged to Turkish actress Sinem Kobal in 2010, but they later separated. He married Aslıhan Doğan on 11 March 2018. The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, attended their wedding. In October 2018, their first son, Hamza Arda, was born. Their second son, Asil Aslan, was born in June 2020.
Helping Others
Turan is known for his charity work, especially helping sick children. On 11 May 2014, he became a goodwill ambassador for the Khojaly massacre. His work as an ambassador aims to raise awareness about this event and promote peace around the world.
Media Appearances
In January 2010, Turan was voted the third-most popular European footballer of 2009 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). He was also on the cover of the video game FIFA 15 in Turkey, alongside Lionel Messi.
Political Views
Arda Turan is known for supporting the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Personal Life
Arda Turan's mother has Albanian heritage.
Career Statistics
Club Performance
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Galatasaray | 2004–05 | Süper Lig | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 8 | ||
| 2007–08 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 44 | 8 | |||
| 2008–09 | 29 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 12 | ||
| 2009–10 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 0 | — | 47 | 11 | |||
| 2010–11 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | 19 | 6 | |||
| Total | 130 | 29 | 26 | 8 | 41 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 197 | 45 | ||
| Manisaspor (loan) | 2005–06 | Süper Lig | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 2 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 2011–12 | La Liga | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | — | 45 | 5 | |
| 2012–13 | 32 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 41 | 5 | |||
| 2013–14 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 9 | ||
| 2014–15 | 32 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 3 | ||
| Total | 127 | 13 | 16 | 2 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 178 | 22 | ||
| Barcelona | 2015–16 | La Liga | 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| 2016–17 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 13 | ||
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 36 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 55 | 15 | ||
| İstanbul Başakşehir (loan) | 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Total | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 42 | 2 | |||
| Galatasaray | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 34 | 4 | |
| 2021–22 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Total | 39 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 46 | 4 | |||
| Career total | 384 | 55 | 54 | 14 | 91 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 533 | 90 | ||
International Performance
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Source:
| Turkey | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 5 | 0 |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 |
| 2008 | 12 | 4 |
| 2009 | 9 | 1 |
| 2010 | 7 | 5 |
| 2011 | 8 | 2 |
| 2012 | 11 | 0 |
| 2013 | 10 | 1 |
| 2014 | 7 | 0 |
| 2015 | 9 | 3 |
| 2016 | 8 | 1 |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 100 | 17 |
International Goals for Turkey
- Turkey score listed first, score column indicates score after each Turan goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 May 2008 | Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 2 | 11 June 2008 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland |  Switzerland |
2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 |
| 3 | 15 June 2008 | Stade de Genève, Geneve, Switzerland |  Czech Republic |
1–2 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 |
| 4 | 11 October 2008 | Inonu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 5 September 2009 | Kadir Has Stadium, Kayseri, Turkey |  Estonia |
3–2 | 4–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 22 May 2010 | Red Bull Arena, New Jersey, United States | Czech Republic |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 29 May 2010 | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States |  United States |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 11 August 2010 | Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Romania |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 3 September 2010 | Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan |  Kazakhstan |
2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 10 | 7 September 2010 | Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Belgium |
3–2 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 11 | 29 March 2011 | Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Austria |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 12 | 2 September 2011 | Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey | Kazakhstan |
2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 13 | 6 September 2013 | Kadir Has Stadium, Kayseri, Turkey |  Andorra |
5-0 | 5-0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 12 June 2015 | Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 15 | 6 September 2015 | Torku Arena, Konya, Turkey |  Netherlands |
2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 16 | 13 November 2015 | Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar |  Qatar |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 17 | 29 March 2016 | Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria | Austria |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Eyüpspor |  |
14 April 2023 | 25 May 2025 | 84 | 45 | 14 | 25 | 143 | 94 | +49 | 53.57 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | |
27 May 2025 | present | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 66.67 |
| Total | 87 | 47 | 15 | 25 | 153 | 96 | +57 | 54.02 | |||
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
With Galatasaray
- Süper Lig: 2007–08
- Turkish Cup: 2004–05
With Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2013–14
- Copa del Rey: 2012–13
- UEFA Europa League: 2011–12
- UEFA Super Cup: 2012
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2013–14
With Barcelona
- La Liga: 2015–16
- Copa del Rey: 2015–16, 2016–17
- Supercopa de España: 2016
With İstanbul Başakşehir
- Süper Lig: 2019–20
With Turkey National Team
- UEFA European Championship third place: 2008
As a Manager
With Eyüpspor
- TFF First League: 2023–24
See also
In Spanish: Arda Turan para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
