In his new life as a BBC presenter, former England football legend Gary Lineker is used to commenting on the performance of others. But this time, it was he who found himself in the center of the news. Suspended by his channel after vehement tweets against a bill on immigration, Lineker will finally return to the famous show “Match of the Day”, after a week of controversy that took on the air of national debate, as shown in our video montage above.
The case begins with a video posted on Twitter by Suella Braverman, the British Home Secretary. She details a bill aimed at restricting asylum applications from migrants arriving by the Channel. Gary Lineker, known for a long time for his positions in favor of exiles, denounces in response a “ cruel politics », whose language reminds him « 1930s Germany ».
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Lineker’s suspension triggers a slingshot
His messages do not go unnoticed. Two days and three million views later, the management of the BBC announces the withdrawal of the star presenter, on the grounds that the latter would not have respected his duty of impartiality. The sanction provokes a revolt within the British institution. Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, former players who shared the “Match of the Day” poster with Lineker, refused to participate in the next broadcast. Unprecedented fact, the latter must be broadcast by offering only summaries of raw matches.
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Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labor Party, or Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish Prime Minister, are among the political figures who are stepping up to support the former number 10 of the “Three Lions” – who had never received the lesser yellow card as a player. The opposition points in particular to the closeness between the presidency of the public channel and the Conservative Party in power. Even the DJ Fatboy Slim exposes the face of the presenter during a concert, as a sign of solidarity, while the conservative tabloids make their choice of the affair.
The way out of the crisis
On March 13, Gary Lineker and the BBC finally announce that common ground has been found. The presenter will be able to make his big comeback on the air. According to the channel, an independent survey will soon look into the use of social networks by presenters who do not deal with general news. What allow the former striker to continue to closely mark the British authorities on their migration policy, criticized until the UN?
After a surreal few days, I’m glad we made it through. I want to thank you all for your incredible support, especially my colleagues at BBC Sport, for this remarkable show of solidarity. Football is a team game, but their support has been overwhelming.
