Gary Lineker, England in football, which became a celebrity of the media, will leave its role as a BBC presenter after criticism for reposting history on Instagram about Zionism, which contained a photo of a rat.
64-year-old Lineker, who is the best-paid British National Broadcaster presenter, earning about $ 1.3 million ($ 2.42 million CAD), was to leave the flagship football show Day match At the end of this season, but stay with the BBC to get other relationships from football, including the Male World Cup next year.
However, the BBC said on Monday in a statement that Lineker would give way completely from the corporation to the final Day match The episode next weekend after your decision to share the post from the Palestine Group lobby, which contained a photo of a rat entitled: “Sionism explained in two minutes”.
Rats, associated with the disease and dirt, were used to represent Jews in anti -Semitic propaganda throughout the history, including the Nazis in Germany from the 1930s.
“Gary recognized the mistake he made,” said the general director of BBC Tim Davie. “Therefore, we agreed that he would go back after further presentations after this season.”
His apology
Lineker has already apologized for his behavior, saying last week that he published a material he later learned, he contained “offensive references”, adding that he withdrew his position as soon as he learned about it and “would never share nothing of anti -Semitic.”
Before Linker's apology, Davie said that the corporation needs people to “form BBC formulas and comply with our social media principles” and that “when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.”
“Football was in the center of my life as long as I remember – both on the pitch and in the studio,” said Lineker in the BBC statement. “I really care about the game and work that I did with the BBC for many years. As I said, I would never consciously repost anything anti -Semitic – this is contrary to everything I stand.
“However, I recognize the mistake and nervousness that I caused, and I repeat as I am sorry. Returning now seems to be a responsible direction of action.”
In a separate video post on Instagram, Lineker said that he had made a “real mistake” and “should have been more hardworking.”
“I went through a minority and humanitarian problems and all forms of racism throughout my life, including of course anti -Semitism, which will absolutely bother,” he said. “There is no place for this and it should never be.”
Stranged reports from the BBC
Lineker's openness to reflect his political views in social media caused the growing friction from the BBC
Guidelines of impartiality.
In March 2023, he was temporarily suspended in March 2023 due to comments that he criticized the new asylum policy of the then conservative government. This led to the rewriting of the BBC rules regarding social media posts to say that presenters of high -profile programs outside the news were “responsibility for respecting BBC impartiality because of their profile on the BBC.”
Lineker was one of 500 loud numbers that signed an open letter in February, calling the BBC to the Rebroadcast document, Gaza: How to survive the war zoneFor a streaming service, BBC iplayer. The document was drawn that his 13-year-old narrator was the son of Hamas official.
Last week, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph Newspapper the day after the first apology, Lineker spoke about Israel's behavior during the war with Hamas in Gaza, saying that those who remained silent on this subject were “almost intentional”.
Lineker's career
The BBC lost something like a national treasury, which became almost as well -known as the sender as he was a footballer.
Lineker is one of the biggest players in England – he scored 48 goals in 80 matches for his country and was the best scorer at the World Championships in 1986 in Mexico – who went to the television presenter known for his skillful, witty and competent personality, with 8.7 million watching on X and 1.2 million watching on Instagram. He was the main presenter of the BBC Day match Since 1999 and used his Freelancer status to work for other broadcasters such as NBC, Al Jazera and BT Sport.
Lineker, who played his club football for Everton, Tottenham and Barcelona, is a co-founder The rest is a story The series and its spinoffs about politics, football, entertainment and money.
Reaction to departure
Lineker's departure from the BBC was welcomed by a campaign against anti -Semitism, which said that he became a “symbol of rot in the heart of our national broadcaster.”
The group added that Lineker “has been repeatedly allowed to avoid their own BBC principles regarding impartiality, abusing his position to promote his increasingly propaganda policy, slandering those with whom he disagrees, and even promoting drying and extreme messages.”
“Gary has been a decisive voice in football for BBC for over two decades,” said Davie. “His passion and knowledge were shaped by our sports journalism and brought him respect for sports fans in and outside. We want to thank him for the contribution he made.”
Day match, The program late at night, which has been going on since the 1960s and is considered an institution in Great Britain, will be run by Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan at the beginning of the 2025-26 season. None of them are former players.