Video: Arda Turan refuses to sign a Lionel Messi jersey out of respect

Arda Turan turned down an opportunity to sign a Lionel Messi jersey

Arda Turan just moved to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid and has already won the admiration of the fans of his new team with this latest gesture. The Turkish midfielder will not be able to play for his new team for six months due to the ban imposed on the club. But it is clear why the 28-year-old wanted to join the La Liga champions.

Turan had recently professed his admiration for Lionel Messi and was keen on teaming up with the Argentine captain. During an event, the midfielder was asked to sign a jersey of Lionel Messi which he turned down. It appeared in the video as if Turan was not happy at being asked to sign a shirt of Messi.

But the real reason is because Turan did not feel worthy to sign the jersey of Messi whom he holds in high regard. Previously, he has spoken about how he felt about Messi by calling him the best.

“I’ve never seen Maradona play because of my age, but for me Messi is the best player in history," he says. “His passes and his dribbling are better than Ronaldo - and Ronaldo isn’t bad at dribbling! All I can say is Messi is the best.

Watch the incident where Turan refused to sign Messi’s jersey: