Former pro footballer Wesley Sneijder denies Turkish money laundering reports

Former footballer Wesley Sneijder may have been involved in laundering money from the international crime organization Comanchero, according to several Turkish media. The Turkish financial intelligence unit MASAK described him as a "secret partner" of the organization, according to the press. Sneijder denied the accusations in Turkish on Instagram and said he is "deeply saddened" by the reports.

"The news that has been spread about me since the morning hours in various media outlets, especially Turkish media, does not reflect the truth," said Sneijder, who played for Turkish football club Galatasaray. "I am deeply saddened about this news spreading in Turkey, my second home."

According to MASAK's report, Sneijder has shares in a company involved in Comanchero's money laundering practices. His name was seen in papers from 2013 to 2017.

Sneijder claims he was never involved in this because he only owned shares and had nothing to do with business operations. "Employees introduced the company to me as a very good company, and somehow, that gave me confidence," he said in response. "I bought shares legally and transparently. However, I have not made any profits in any form from the time I purchased the shares until now."

Sneijder also wrote that no charges have been brought against him regarding these accusations. The former footballer added that he will take legal action if the media keeps spreading "misleading information."