• Decisive Sunday night in Lyon, the Turkish striker shines this season at Losc.

  • At 35, Yilmaz nevertheless lives his first experience in a European club outside Turkey.

His two goals and his decisive pass Sunday night in Lyon did not only make people happy at Losc.

Since the start of the season, the whole of Turkey has been bombarding their chests with Burak Yilmaz's performances in Ligue 1. “We, the Turks, are very united when a player goes abroad.

We support him no matter what.

Especially since we had doubts that he would succeed abroad at 35, ”says Atakan Anil, Turkish football specialist and founder of the SüperLig Twitter account, devoted to the Turkish championship.

With the exception of a season in China which was more lucrative financially than sportingly, the Kral (the king) had never left Turkey.

Revealed in 2006 in Besiktas then trained by a certain Jean Tigana whom Yilmaz considers as his father, the attacker became a prophet in his country despite a particular sense of loyalty.

"He always felt good in Istanbul"

“Burak Yilmaz is a huge career.

He played in the four big Turkish clubs (Besiktas, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Trabzonspor), he was top scorer in the Turkish league, he made superperfs in the Champions League with Galatasaray.

If he had proposals before Lille, he always felt good in Istanbul, ”says Ibrahim Alci, president of the Franco-Turks du Nord association.

Yet at the end of a 2012/2013 season when he scored seven goals with Galatasaray in the Champions League, his departure to a prestigious European club seemed obvious.

“When he shone in the Champions League with Galatasaray, all Turks believed he was going to join a European cador.

But he also loves his country very much, where he is very well respected.

It is also a great regret not to have it earlier in Europe ”, concedes Atakan Anil.

Returning to Turkey in 2017 after his Beijing getaway, Yilmaz was preparing to end his career on the shores of the Bosphorus with the captain's armband of a Besiktas who has always been his favorite club.

His meeting with Campos started it all

But a meeting with Luis Campos will change everything.

After the unexpected failure of Loïc Rémy's contract extension at the end of June 2020, the sporting director of Losc is looking for an experienced striker in the middle of the summer.

Agent of the player, Hassan Torun told Monday evening on RMC behind the scenes of his arrival in the North.

“Luis Campos came to spend ten days with me in Istanbul.

He managed to convince him to leave Besiktas to come to Lille, which is not easy.

Burak really came to Lille for Luis Campos and the project he presented to him.

He found the right words.

Campos is very strong.

And Burak's coming to Losc has nothing to do with money, ”insisted the agent.

A Turkish community in Losc

“Campos was the trigger,” confirms Ibrahim Alci.

“He convinced him of the important role he could play at Losc with his aggressiveness and his aura.

And Burak has set himself a last goal in his career by trying to perform in a club abroad, ”continues this Northerner who has become close to the player since his arrival at Losc.

Another strong argument has also played a lot in favor of the northern club.

With the presence of his compatriots Zeki Celik and Yusuf Yazici, Yilmaz knew he would not land in unknown land.

Quiet in his life in Lille, far from the madness of Istanbul

Finally, the tranquility of a family life in Lille with his wife and two daughters, far, very far from the madness of Istanbul has ended to tip the scales. Hunted in Istanbul for all his deeds and gestures; the Kral is much less hassle in the capital of Flanders. “In Turkey, he cannot move around as he wants. Here, people don't necessarily recognize him right away, so he can walk around the mall without any problem. But he is not in anonymity either, ”assures Ibrahim Alci.

At the same time, with 12 goals and 5 assists in 24 Ligue 1 games, it was difficult for him to remain discreet.

Under contract at Losc until June 2022, Yilmaz is not yet sure to stay in the North next season.

Everything will depend on an end of the season when Kral dreams of winning a league title before going to play the Euro as captain of a great team from Turkey.

At almost 36 years old, retirement is not yet relevant.

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