Wouldn’t want to quit like this but I don’t think it’s right to continue, confesses Burak Yilmaz

Wouldn’t want to quit like this but I don’t think it’s right to continue, confesses Burak Yilmaz

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Burak Yilmaz

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Veteran Turkey star Burak Yilamz has revealed that while he doesn’t want to retire like this, he doesn’t believe it is right to continue but admitted that this is not an emotional decision. The 36-year-old scored in a 2-1 loss against Portugal but then missed a decisive chance to level the scores.

With Turkey up against Portugal in their 2022 World Cup qualifiers, few gave them a chance against the winners of the Euro 2016 but the Turks put up a fair fight. That was despite goals from Otavio and Diogo Jota giving them a 2-0 lead before Burak Yilmaz dragged his side back in with a goal. But as Turkey kept on pushing, it was Yilmaz who had the chance to level the scores with less than six minutes left on the clock.

However, the 36-year-old veteran forward missed his shot by a mile and handed Portugal a life-line, which they grabbed onto for their dear lives until the final whistle. It saw an emotional Yilmaz in shock at the fact that he missed the chance and he apologised butt hen confirmed that he is retiring from international football. The Lille forward further added that he didn’t want to leave international football like this but doesn’t believe it’s right for him to keep going.

“I don’t know how I didn’t score, I'm still in shock. We upset our country. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. This was my last World Cup chance. As of today, this is over. I said to myself it was a definite goal when we got the penalty. I started thinking about the future. I am disappointed because I never thought about missing it. I'm sorry. I'm going to score this penalty every night of my life, maybe without sleep, in my dreams,” Yilmaz said, reported Goal.

“I wouldn't want to quit after a game like this, but I don't think it's right to continue. Thank you to my coaches. My decision to quit is not emotional. I make this decision logically. If extreme, unbelievable situations occur, then I will help.

“Our country needs to pass the flag on to our young friends. The new generation, the new structure. This is the right thing. My decision is not a result of disappointment, nor is it about a penalty. I think our brothers will do what is necessary from now on.”

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