Gary Lineker: I felt BBC sought after me to depart Match of the Day

Gary Lineker has mentioned he believes the BBC sought after him to depart Match of the Day as he was once negotiating a brand new contract remaining 12 months.

The presenter and the BBC collectively introduced in November that he can be stepping down from the flagship soccer programme, even if he’s going to nonetheless host World Cup and FA Cup protection.

Asked via the BBC’s Amol Rajan why he would select to depart given his a success tenure, Lineker mentioned: “Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that.”

The BBC did not touch upon that recommendation, however on the time Lineker’s go out was once introduced, the company’s director of recreation described him as a “world-class presenter”.

However, the BBC famous in the similar commentary that Match of the Day “continually evolves for changing viewing habits”.

A brand new trio of presenters – Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan – was once introduced in January.

Reflecting on his departure from Match of the Day, Lineker advised Rajan: “It’s time. I’ve done it for a long time, it’s been brilliant.”

However, requested why he’d wish to go away when the rankings have been nonetheless excessive and it was once a task Lineker nonetheless loved, the previous footballer mentioned he “had the sense” the BBC had sought after him to step down.

“I always wanted one more contract, and I was umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether to do three years [more],” Lineker defined.

But, he persisted, the subject of the way lengthy to signal for was once sophisticated via the cycle of broadcasting rights for fits.

“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 mentioned.

“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.”

Lineker added that he was once happy his soccer podcasts have been picked up via BBC Sounds as a part of a handle the company.

Lineker was once additionally requested about feedback he posted on social media in March 2023, criticising the then-government’s immigration coverage.

The remarks ended in his suspension from the BBC, prompting different sports activities presenters to down equipment in cohesion, one thing Lineker mentioned he felt “moved” via.

Reflecting on his tweets, Lineker mentioned he didn’t remorseful about taking the placement he did, however that he would no longer do it once more on account 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.

“Would I, in hindsight, do it once more? No I would not, on account of all of the nonsense that got here with it… It was once a ludicrous overreaction that was once only a respond to somebody that was once being very impolite. And I wasn’t in particular impolite again.”

He persisted: “But I would not do it once more on account of all of the kerfuffle that adopted, and I really like the BBC, and I did not like the wear that it did to the BBC… But do I remorseful about it and do I feel it was once the fallacious factor to do? No.”

The row erupted when Lineker called a government asylum policy “immeasurably merciless”, and said a video promoting it used language that was “no longer dissimilar to that utilized by Germany within the 30s”.

The home secretary at the time, Suella Braverman, who appeared in the video, called his criticism “offensive” and “lazy”, while Downing Street said it was “no longer applicable”.

Lineker’s post reignited the debate about the BBC’s impartiality guidance on social media and how it applied to presenters.

While staff working in news and current affairs are expected to remain impartial on social platforms, there had been questions over how much the rules extended to BBC personalities in other areas such as entertainment and sport.

Lineker hit the headlines once more lately when he, along side 500 different high-profile figures, signed an open later urging the BBC to reinstate a documentary about Gaza to iPlayer.

The documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, was pulled from the streaming service in February after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

Lineker told Rajan he would “100%” support the documentary being made available again, arguing: “I feel you let folks make their very own minds up. We’re adults. We’re allowed to peer such things as that. It’s extremely shifting.”

He added that, although the 13-year-old was narrating the programme, the script had “no longer been written via [the child], it is been written via the individuals who produced the display”.

“I feel [the BBC] simply capitulated to lobbying that they get so much,” he said.

After concerns were raised, the BBC took down the programme while it carried out further due diligence. The matter is currently still being investigated by the corporation.

The BBC mentioned it had known severe flaws within the making of the documentary. The BBC board mentioned the errors have been “important and destructive”.

On most sensible of his presenting roles, Lineker could also be the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which make the a success The Rest is History sequence and its spin-offs about Politics, Football, Entertainment and Money.

The 64-year-old indicated to Rajan his subsequent occupation transfer “won’t be more telly”, including: “I think I’ll step back from that now.

“I feel I’ll most likely focal point extra at the podcast international, as a result of it is one of these amusing trade and it is simply been so improbable.”

Amol Rajan Interviews: Gary Lineker is on BBC iPlayer from 06:00 and can air on BBC Two at 19:00 BST on Tuesday.