Arda Turan reveals who's his best friend at Barça... & backgammon

Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan has given an extensive interview to Turkish magazine Alem in which, among other things, he spoke about matters which have little or nothing to do with football.

The former Atletico Madrid player also revealed that Rafinha is his best friend in the Blaugrana dressing room. "We do everything together," he said. 

Arda also said that the passions which fill his free time are low cost. "I don't spend money like crazy. I like table games, above all backgammon. I am also a cycling fan, sometimes I go out -- even if it's raining," explained the forward, who in his second year at Can Barça is having a much better time than in his first. 

On his love of table games, he added: "I have a cafe culture. I grew up in a cafe. My uncle onwed a cafe, so I don't like games of chance," he added. 

Asked about his objectives for 2017, Turan asked for various things, most having nothing to do with sport. "I hope my career continues to progress. I have won titles, yes, but I am also worried about other things, like my health, the happiness of my family (...) also the happiness of every country in the world, that there's peace and that terrorism stops," he said.  

Arda, who now knows "some words" in Catalan, also said he was a fan of technology in football. He also praised teams like Leicester City and Atletico Madrid, who through strength and collective spirit have been capable of going toe-to-toe with football's most powerful clubs. 

Asked if he could see himself as president of Galatasaray, Arda admitted that he's "readt" and has the "capacity" to do the job having been a footballer. However, he's not thinking of that as an option in the short-term.