Arda Turan found guilty of tax fraud in Spain

BARCELONA

Former Barcelona football player Arda Turan has been found guilty of tax fraud in Spain and sentenced to a one-year prison sentence that was suspended, a Spanish court has said.

The court said the former Türkiye midfielder committed two counts of tax fraud in 2015 and 2016. He was fined 630,000 euros ($684,000).

Turan joined Barcelona in 2015 from Atletico Madrid. He played for the Catalan club until he was loaned in January 2018 to Basaksehir. He later joined Galatasaray, where he played until retiring in 2022.

Turan pleaded guilty and his sentence was postponed upon the request of the prosecutor's office and the acceptance of both the State Attorney's Office and the defense lawyers on the condition that he does not commit any crime for two years and Turan will not go to prison.

In addition, the office's proposal to postpone the sentence for two years, provided that he does not commit any crime during this period, was supported by the prosecutor’s office and Turan's lawyers.

In a document prepared by the office, it was explained that Arda Turan "did not show his personal income and evaded his obligation to pay taxes in Spain, despite having the status of personal income taxpayer in Spain and earning significant income in 2015."

Spanish tax officials have caught several soccer stars for tax fraud over the past decade, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho. Like Turan, none of these players or coaches have gone behind bars. Sentences for less than two years can be suspended for first-time offenders in Spain.