Lille forward Burak Yilmaz believed Lens winger Gael Kakuta should have kept his Ligue 1 title preference to himself after backing Paris Saint-Germain to win the trophy.
The Parisians are currently second on the league table with only four points behind leaders Lille and have played fewer games than Christophe Galtier’s side.
The race for the title is arguably between the two clubs and Kakuta had revealed he would prefer PSG to retain the title.
The comment has not gone down well with Yilmaz, who believed the ‘experienced’ winger should have avoided such a statement.
"He's a very good player and is experienced. In terms of respect, he should have kept that to himself and not have said it to the outside world,” Yilmaz told the Ligue 1 website.
“On top of that, they've just played against Paris and lost to them. I have nothing else to add."
Kakuta is currently on a season-long loan at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, having joined the club last summer from Amiens.
The forward has been in fine form since his arrival in Lens, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in 33 league games this season.
The 29-year-old’s effort has contributed to his side’s sixth place on the league table after gathering 56 points from 36 games.
Kakuta will be expected to continue his impressive goalscoring performances when Lens slug it out against Bordeaux in their next league game on May 16.
The winger started his senior career with Premier League side Chelsea but his inability to establish himself at the club made him leave the side, initially on loan with Fulham, Bolton Wanderers, Dijon, Vitesse, Lazio and Rayo Vallecano.
He then departed the Stamford Bridge outfit permanently in 2015, joining Spanish side Sevilla and he has also played for Hebei China Fortune, Rayo Vallecano before teaming up with Amiens in 2019.
Kakuta represented France U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 sides before switching his allegiance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He made his debut for the African country in 2017 against Kenya, scoring in the encounter and he has now made nine appearances for DR Congo.
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