Match of the Day would later air without a studio presenter, pundits, or its regular commentators after the BBC asked Gary Lineker to back down in a row over fairness. Pundits Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, and Jermaine Janus have said they will not appear on the show.
Six members of the MotD commentary team said
Alex Scott also indicated the same while six members of the MOTD commentary team said they would also not take part. This follows presenter Lineker’s critique of the government’s asylum policy.
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On Twitter, the former England footballer compared the language used by the government to unveil its new plans to that of 1930s Germany as “not dissimilar”. The BBC said it had asked Lineker to withdraw from the presentation after “extensive discussion”.
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MOTD commentators Steve Wilson, Connor McNamara, Robin Cowen, and Steven Wyeth shared a joint statement online. adding that he “did not find it appropriate to participate in the program on Saturday”.
BBC Sport understands that a number of players from various clubs have contacted the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) saying they want to show solidarity with Lineker and the MotD pundits by boycotting post-match interviews on the show.
Then came former Manchester City defender Richards, who wrote on Twitter: “I wasn’t due to work on MOTD yesterday, but if I had been, I would have found myself making the same decision that [Ian Wright] and [Alan Shearer] passed.” Former Tottenham midfielder Janus then tweeted: “Got on air with a show. I wasn’t down to do tomorrow’s match of the day but if I was I’d say no and join my fellow pundits and Gary Lineker Would have stood.”
Lineker responded on Twitter saying it was “an extremely cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable in a language that bears no resemblance to the language used by Germany in the 30s”.
Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC’s highest-paid star, earning around £1.35 million in 2020–21.
