Happy Birthday Burak Yilmaz!
Join us in wishing 2020/21 Ligue 1 McDonald's champion Burak Yilmaz the happiest of birthdays and look back on the vital role "The Kral" played in helping LOSC Lille to an unlikely title five years ago.
A long journey to Lille
Born in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, Yilmaz's path to Ligue 1 McDonald's was a long and winding one. Born to a former professional goalkeeper, he debuted for his local club, Antalyaspor, at just 18 years old. His spell there was a succesful one, and by the end of his four seasons there, he had made his debut for the senior national team. His performances would catch the eye of Istanbul giants Besiktas, and he was on the move to the Bosporus, where he helped his team win the Turkish Cup but struggled on an individual level.
Short stints at Maniaspor, Fenerbahce and Eskisehirspor followed, but it was at Trabzonspor that Yilmaz emerged as a real star. In two-and-a-half seasons in the northern city, he scored 55 goals in 72 matches, racking up another Turkish Cup win. Now established as a star, he moved back to Istanbul, this time to Galatasaray where his success continued apace, as he finished top scorer in his debut season, the team winning two league titles. In 2016 he would spend two seasons in China before further spells at Trabzonspor and Beskitas.
A Happy Birthday to THE KRAL 🇹🇷❤️ pic.twitter.com/0oIcr0ZzW6
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) July 15, 2025
"That goal" against Lyon and more
Despite his success in his native country, there was no great level of excitement around his arrival in Lille in the summer of 2020. 35 years old at the time, he had scarcely played outside his native country, and seemed an ill fit for a team looking to build around record signing Jonathan David. Any doubts about his level were quickly assuaged, though as Yilmaz would go on to score 16 goals -- good for third in the league as Les Dogues outlasted Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco in a thrilling four-way title race.
None of his goals, of course, was more important than a stunning free kick in a 3-2 win against OL. Part of a brace scored by Yilmaz on the day, it put a serious dent in Les Gones' title chances and also allowed LOSC to take the upper hand in their own chase for top spot. While he failed to hit those heights the following season, scoring just four league goals, he would play a vital role in helping the team reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time ever, leaving Lille fans with a very special memory and establishing himself as a true Ligue 1 legend.
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