Former Barcelona player Arda Turan found guilty of tax fraud in Spain

The court said the former Turkey 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. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Former Barcelona 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 said on Tuesday.

The court said the former Turkey 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.

Spanish tax officials have caught several football 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.