Arda Turan, a former FC Barcelona and Galatasaray star, is grappling with financial ruin following a career that took a downturn after his stint at Atlético Madrid. The player, who abruptly ended his career in Turkey last year, has now admitted that he is bankrupt after falling for a con set up by an Istanbul-based bank director.
After an impressive run at Atlético Madrid, Turan’s career at FC Barcelona proved challenging, with limited playing time. His return to Turkey marked the premature conclusion of his football journey. His problems have worsened though since he admitted to being a victim of bank director fraud.
In an interview with Sport, Turan shared his unfortunate experience:
“He misled me by telling me that I would make profits with my investments. I gave over 13 million euros, all the money I had earned through my efforts. The work of several years suddenly disappeared. He destroyed all the money and effort that I had earned by working for years. All my savings were lost in an instant,” explained the 36-year-old former player.
Turan revealed additional notable victims of the Denizbank director’s scam, including Fernando Muslera, the Galatasaray goalkeeper, and a number of former Turkish football players.
Arda Turan’s financial downfall serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of even seasoned athletes to fraudulent schemes, raising questions about the need for enhanced safeguards within the financial systems that athletes engage with post their playing careers.
Evelyn N contributed to this article
