Gary Lineker believes BBC chiefs wanted him to leave his role as Match of the Day host last year.
The former England striker turned presenter announced that he would be stepping down from the iconic football programme at the end of the season.
bbcGary Lineker believes BBC bosses wanted him to leave the flagship football show[/caption]
In a joint statement, Lineker and the BBC revealed that he would continue his hosting duties by fronting the broadcasters coverage of the World Cup and FA Cup.
In a recent interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan, Lineker felt that BBC bosses wanted rid of him despite entering into contract negotiations at the time.
Asked why he took the decision to step aside despite a successful 25 year stint in the hotseat, Lineker said: “Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that.”
The BBC, who at the time of the announcement described Lineker as a ‘world-class presenter’ did not comment on the claims.
“It’s time. I’ve done it for a long time, it’s been brilliant,” the 64-year-old said reflecting on his time as the show’s host.
“I always wanted one more contract, and I was umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether to do three years [more],” Lineker explained.
“In the end, I think there was a feeling that, because it was a new rights period, it was a chance to change the programme,” he said.
“I think it was their preference that I didn’t do Match of the Day for one more year, so they could bring in new people. So it’s slightly unusual that I would do the FA Cup and the World Cup, but to be honest, it’s a scenario that suits me perfectly.”
The BBC initially noted that Match of the Day ‘continually evolves for changing viewing habits’ and with that came its decision to hand shared presenting duties to the trio of Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan.
The changes will not affect Lineker’s blossoming football podcasts which have proved to be successful alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
The pods had been picked up by BBC Sounds as part of a deal with the broadcaster.
Lineker discussed the furore around the comments he posted on social media in 2023 when he criticised the government’s immigration policy.
His post led to a suspension from the BBC which led to other sports presenters ‘strike’ in solidarity with him. It led to the programme airing with no punditry or analysis.
Reflecting on the conflict, Lineker spoke of his emotional response to the support offered by broadcast colleague Ian Wright.
“I was just having late lunch and Ian Wright went public saying… (that he would boycott)”
When asked if Wright called him in advance, Lineker added: “No, but we have a group chat.
“And the day before, I said this might result with them taking me off air.
“And he went: ‘That’s so ridiculous’. And he said: ‘If they do, I’m not doing the show’.
“It’s one thing saying that, it’s a very much different thing actually doing it.
“I was in the back of a cab on the way home when that happened and I was crying, because that doesn’t happen, that show of support, it’s incredible.”
Lineker said he did not regret the posts but would not do it again because of the ‘damage’ it did to the BBC.
“I don’t regret saying them publicly, because I was right – what I said, it was accurate – so not at all in that sense,” he said.
“Would I, in hindsight, do it again? No I wouldn’t, because of all the nonsense that came with it… It was a ridiculous overreaction that was just a reply to someone that was being very rude. And I wasn’t particularly rude back.
“But I wouldn’t do it again because of all the kerfuffle that followed, and I love the BBC, and I didn’t like the damage that it did to the BBC. But do I regret it and do I think it was the wrong thing to do? No.”
The tension deepened after Lineker called a government asylum policy ‘immeasurably cruel’, and said a video promoting it used language that was ‘not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s’.
Lineker added: “I’ve always been strong on humanitarian issues and always will be, and that’s me.”
