Lille closely monitoring Gaziantep head coach Burak Yılmaz | OneFootball

According to a report from Sacha Tavolieri, Lille OSC are paying close attention to the post-playing career of their former striker Burak Yılmaz. 

Yılmaz hung up his boots in June 2023 after a season at Fortuna Sittard. The next month, he was appointed as an assistant manager at Beşiktaş. He’d later take on his first head coaching role when he was appointed the interim head coach in October of that year, and would then step down the following month. 

Since then, Yılmaz has become head coach of Kayserispor, Kasımpaşa, and, most recently, Gaziantep, whom he currently manages. However, Tavolieri writes that he could leave Gaziantep at the end of the season, with clubs in France and Belgium following his progress. 

Lille are reportedly one of the more attentive and are closely monitoring Yılmaz’s situation, although no official approach has been made. 

Lille’s current head coach, Bruno Génésio, has been under some pressure since the start of the year, with his side having lost all but one game in 2026. Génésio has recently spoken of Lille needing to “downgrade” their ambitions following this poor run of form. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland