Sources close to Gary Linekar are confident that the dispute with BBC will be resolved in 24 hours. According to rumors, Lineker will return to Match of the Day next Saturday, thus a remark on the matter might be issued as early as Monday morning. It comes after a difficult weekend for the BBC and its football broadcasts, most notably Match of the Day on Saturday evening, which had a significantly reduced timeslot of 20 minutes, with no commentary, expert analysis, post-match interviews, or theme music. Lineker has sparked controversy by equating the language used to unveil a new government asylum policy to that of 1930s Germany.
The BBC stopped Gary Linekar from presenting MOTD, stating in a statement that he will “step back” from delivering the weekly football highlights show. Lineker had rejected this language, claiming that the corporation had instead pulled him off the air because he refused to apologize for his views. Pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer both indicated that they would not be appearing on Match of the Day, and a slew of other presenters, former footballers, and pundits followed suit.
Lineker, who has not tweeted or publicly commented since the corporation suspended him on Friday, evaded reporters’ queries once more as he left his house in south-west London to walk his dog. On Sunday night, Match of the Day 2 lasted only 14 minutes. Jermain Defoe had stated that he will not be appearing as a pundit on the show. The Women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Manchester United on BBC Two began with no pre-match presentation and no experts – it was shown live with world feed commentary.
“If you believe in the independence of the BBC, it is not the responsibility of the chancellor or any other government minister to decide how these matters are resolved,” Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said. “The main thing people want to know is that there is no political agenda in the way the BBC conducts its business. I’m not suggesting there is, but that is the level of trust that people require.”
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