Tag: Arda Turan

What to do when you’ve been transfer banned, by FC Barcelona

(@FCBarcelona)
(@FCBarcelona)

In April 2014, Barcelona were given a 14-month transfer ban by FIFA for breaking rules related to the transfer of players under the age of 18. FIFA rejected their appeal in August of that year and in December, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected another appeal. “Barcelona will not be allowed to sign any players in 2015,” said the BBC at the time. 

This would be devastating news to any club, but Barcelona have found a way to cope in this bleak and treacherous time. The following is their guide to coping with a transfer ban for a full year. 

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Arda Turan given appropriate birthday cake days after throwing boot at linesman

During Wednesday’s action-packed Copa del Rey tie between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, Arda Turan was so enraged by a refereeing decision that he threw one of his own boots at the referee. Amazingly, the Turkish midfielder was only given a yellow card for this heinous misappropriation of sporting apparel. 

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If it continued… (Atletico Madrid v Barcelona)

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The second leg of Atletico Madrid’s Copa del Rey semifinal against Barcelona had it. A skillful Fernando Torres goal within the first minute, Jordi Alba getting smacked in the head by the linesman’s flag, Torres shoving Neymar while walking off the pitch at halftime, Gabi getting a red card in the tunnel, Arda Turan throwing his own boot, and Barcelona came from behind to win 3-2 (4-2 on aggregate). It even had a player — Atletico’s Cristian Ansaldi — who was detained by police on his way into the stadium for slamming his car door on a cop’s hand!

Clearly this match had everything (a man threw his own boot!) and more. Yet many of you still requested that we ask that old chestnut of a question: What if it continued?

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Jordi Alba gets smacked in the head by linesman’s flag, Arda Turan fights back

If Diego Costa and Cristiano Ronaldo get charged with violent conduct for kicking people, then this linesman should get charged for smacking Jordi Alba in the head with his flag during the second leg of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid’s Copa del Rey tie. That’s assault with a deadly weapon. Jordi Alba needs to lead a “#DisallowLinesmanViolence” campaign. Read more

Arda Turan sings (terribly) on The Voice in Turkey

The winter break affords footballers the opportunity to do things away from the game for once. So Atletico Madrid’s Arda Turan went home to Turkey to try and make it as a singer (kind of) on The Voice.

For those unfamiliar with the show, the judges all start with their chairs turned away from the stage, then the contestant walks out and sings. If the judges like what they hear, they turn their chairs around to see the person singing and fill them with false hope that makes their inevitable failure to become the next Right Said Fred.

So when Turan came out, he was given a rousing ovation that piqued that judges interest. And even though his singing sounded like a labrador trying to cough up a cigarette factory, the judges still turned their chairs around just to see who the presumably special guest was.

From there, everyone had a bit of fun, but the lesson of the day is that Arda Turan probably isn’t going to leave Atletico to become the next Dion Dublin anytime soon.