Gary Lineker’s last BBC -Opentig: Match of the Day opens with emotional tribute when £ 1.4 million star says: “It was not meant to end this way” because he says goodbye after Axing

Gary Lineker subtly hinted that his career at the BBC “Was not meant to end this way” when he started his last game of the day show.

“It was not meant to end this way,” he started, for a break. ‘But with the title race about and the relegation places attached, the Champions League Was everything we had to talk about. ‘

He was accompanied by old friends Alan Shearer And Micah RichardsWith whom he organizes the popular the rest is a football podcast.

And the BBC paid tribute to their 26 -year -old anchor, with a mounting of some of his goals and early work for the series of the most important titles.

Lineker was convicted after sharing a pro-palestine Instagram video with an emoji of a rat, where critics accused him of promoting a well-known anti-Semitic Smet.

The first England Football captain posted a video in which the Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu attacks Israel’s war in Gaza with a cartoon image of a rat. Images of rats and other vermin were regularly used as tropics by Nazi Germany to portray Jewish people, as many of Lineker’s critics noticed.

His last show was peppered with references to his departure.

Comments on the Fulham US Manchester City game, as Kevin De Bruyne It was demonstrated that he was being replaced, commentator Mark Scott joked: ‘One of the best in the industry makes his last appearance for the competition of the day cameras today. And of course you can say the same thing about Kevin De Bruyne here at Fulham! ‘

Richard’s also joked that Levi Colwill was ‘as a Prime Gary Lineker’ for the movement for his goal against Nottingham Forest.

Lineker confirmed his departure from the company earlier this month and ‘apologized unconditionally’ for his actions and said that he was not aware of the meaning of the symbol and added: ‘I would never consciously post anything anti-Semitic posts against everything I stand for’.

He said that the resignation of his role at the BBC – where he was once the best paid star – was “the responsible way of acting.”

The former striker of England will not be the cover of the Public Broadcaster of the World Cup 2026 as planned, or the coverage of the FA Cup next season. He leaves without a payment of his £ 1.4 million salary.

Lineker shared the recent controversial function, originally uploaded by another account, because it contained a criticism of Zionism – the conviction that there should be a national home country for Jewish people in Israel.

The BBC Stalwart was previously pronounced with his views on the Israeli invasion of Gaza after the attacks of 7 October – among other things – but it is not thought that he has once publicly apologized for content he has shared.

Mr Lineker refused to say sorry in 2023 to compare the rhetoric of the then Tory government about her immigration policy with that of Nazi Germany.

The comment led to a BBC suspension, but this was lifted when colleagues walked away to support the presenter.

The social media rules of the BBC were then rewritten to say that presenters of flagship programs outside news and current affairs – including match of the day – have a special responsibility to respect the impartiality of the BBC because of their profile on the BBC ‘.

Lineker, however, did not remember the series of burning tweets from 2023 that led to his suspension.

In an interview that was published on BBC2 last month, he said: ‘I have no regrets that I said them publicly because I was right – what I said, it was correct.

‘Why should I not have an opinion about things? I am AB *** DY football player who has become a sports presenter ‘.

In the same interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan he was asked if it was part of his assignment to give an opinion about politics in the middle.

Lineker said: ‘I’m sorry. It is more important than the BBC. What’s going on there [Gaza] Is the mass murder of thousands of children – probably something we should have a small opinion about. ‘

But on Wednesday, after the indignation about the rat statue was intensified, the former captain of England said: ‘I posted the material that I have learned since then, contained offensive references.

“I am very sorry about these references. I would never deliberately share anything anti -Semitic. It goes against everything I believe in.

“The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the problem.

‘Although I strongly believe in the importance of expressing humanitarian issues, including the tragedy that unfolds in Gaza, I also know that how we do that matters.

‘I take full responsibility for this error. That image does not reflect my opinion. It was a mistake on my part for which I am anxiously apologizing. ‘

In an interview with De Telegraaf this week, Mr Lineker described what happens in Gaza as ‘beyond corrupt’.

He said: ‘We still seem to be on the side of the people who do this. We still deliver arms.

“And you think,” Wow, how? ” The vast majority of people see it for what it is today. ‘

On the subject of October 7, he said that it was ‘inevitable’ that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian country would “cause enormous problems.”

Earlier this week, Lineker added fuel to the fire about a non -related issue -because from last year, Alex Kay -Yelski, he seemed to be sweeping to the director of the BBC, and said that he “wants to change the competition of the day a bit.”

He told Telegraph Sport: ‘I think [a regime change] has [happened]And that’s what I referred to [in an earlier interview].

“He has his reasons, he wants to change the match of the day a bit. In the end I don’t think they will do that, because I don’t see how you move a highlights of highlights by dealing with highlights.

“I think he wants more journalists – he came from that background. He has no television experience. ‘

A BBC employee, who has proven since he was right, claimed the combination of sharing the Rattenemoji and making the comments about Kay-Jelski was able to spell the end for Lineker on the BBC.

They said: ‘That is seen as a real excavation at the head of the sport, which you just don’t do.

“But that it comes so fast after the controversy of social media makes it a real problem for him.”

Earlier this year, Lineker implied that the BBC wanted him to continue from the competition of the day.

He said: ‘Well, maybe they want me to leave. That was the feeling. ‘

While the BBC at the time refused to comment on Lineker’s implication, they called him a ‘presenter’ of world class’ – while adding that competition of the day ‘evolves for changing viewing habits’.

After making his name in Leicester City, where he played between 1978 and 1985, Lineker played for Everton and Spurs before earning a large move of £ 2.8 million to Barcelona.

Lineker made his debut in England in 1984, earned 80 internationals caps and scored 48 goals for an international career of eight years.

That places him on the list of England of record point makers of all time, after Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Sir Bobby Charlton.

The BBC confirmed in November 2024 that Lineker would resign from the competition of the day at the end of this season after 26 years in the track.

More to follow.