Gary Lineker: BBC is probably leaving football expert prematurely

Gary Lineker (64) will probably take goodbye to BBC early. According to the British media reports, the football legend is said to have previously shared an anti-Semitic Instagram video. The former striker of Leicester City and the English national team will leave the BBC after 26 years “in mutual agreement” with its last “Match of the Day” show next Sunday ,. One source told the sheet: “It is a heartbreaking end of an extraordinary television career.”

According to the report, the 64-year-old agreed to withdraw after a meeting with the BBC bosses last week. The “Match of the Day” moderator had apologized for the anti-Semitic Post, which has now been deleted. According to media reports, the contribution to the Israel Gaza War was given a rat emoji, a historically anti-Semitic symbol. He didn’t notice the rat emoji. The newspaper also reports that the moderator’s early farewell is confirmed.

Previously, it was planned that Gary Lineker should report on the 2026 World Cup for the BBC, instead he will probably be seen for the last time this Sunday. He had realized that his position at the BBC was “unsustainable” and that he would not moderate the World Cup, said the insider of the “Sun”.

The former football professional is said to have been £ 1.35 million (around 1.6 million euros) a year the best paid moderator at the BBC. In the program “Match of the Day” he presented the highlights from the Premier League. He had already announced his farewell to the TV show after the 2024/25 season was completed in November. There had also been controversy about the football expert before.