Former Beijing Guoan striker Burak Yilmaz ‘shocked by what he saw in Chinese markets’
- Besiktas captain Burak Yilmaz tells social media followers that he believes ‘more diseases will come from China’
- Chinese fans critical of player who earned US$8.5 million at Beijing Guoan and was banned five games for slapping opponent
Former Beijing Guoan striker Burak Yilmaz has angered fans in China with his comments on Instagram live, where he spoke of his shock at what he saw at local markets and his belief that more diseases will come from the country.
The striker, who is now captain of Besiktas in his native Turkey, was speaking to the Istanbul club’s official account, which has 3.3 million followers, during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.
“I think more illnesses will come from China as someone who lived there. One day I wondered, I went to their market. There is no limit to what they eat or drink.”
“What is eating in China? I was shocked after what I saw in the market. They are eating very interesting things. I think more diseases will come from there. They eat dog. This is their culture. I don't see it as the place where a Turk can live. I stayed for two years and then I came back.”
Chinese markets have become a hot topic in foreign media during the coronavirus pandemic. A wet market in Wuhan has been linked to the earliest cases of Covid-19 and the subject has been widely debated.
