Burak Yilmaz has in front of the camera from ESPN apologized for not giving an interview last week after the 1-1 draw against NEC. The Turkish striker, who used his teammate Oguzhan Özyakup as an interpreter, reported that it had been agreed with him that an interpreter would be present at the interview. When he wasn’t there, Yilmaz didn’t want to cooperate anymore.
Together with Özyakup, Yilmaz appeared in front of the camera after the 1-0 win against Excelsior, Fortuna’s first three-pointer this season. Via the midfielder, who translated everything into Turkish for the attacker and then also translated the answers of ‘King Burak’ for interviewer Leo Oldenburger, Yilmaz explained why he did not appear in front of the camera at ESPN. “I wanted to participate in the interview, but only with an interpreter,” the attacker said.
??????? Burak Yilmaz? Oguzhan Ozyakup ? Leo Oldenburg pic.twitter.com/yd9S8Nf3wV
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) September 18, 2022
“I don’t speak English very well and I can’t quite express what I feel and what I want to say in it,” Yilmaz continued via Özyakup. “When I came to the interview after the game, there was no interpreter and we agreed. Sorry it went wrong, but as long as I don’t speak perfect English I’d rather have an interpreter on hand. I want this in the Do it more often in the future, because there is a lot of news coming out that is not true. If you want to know something, I’m open to talk, as long as someone else is there.”
The 77-time international of Turkey said it with a smile on his face and seemed to see the humor of the situation, with Özyakup acting as the key piece. The midfielder and interpreter, who scored nicely against NEC last week, hopes to persuade technical director Sjoerd Ars to pay him more. “I already told him I want more now that I’m an interpreter,” zyakup jokes. It is not yet clear whether he will also translate Yilmaz’s texts in the future.