The BBC program that on Saturday night offers summaries of the Premier matches and interviews with coaches and players, will not have its presenter, Gary Lineker, nor the usual commentators, because the public entity does not accept the freedom of ex-soccer player to express his political ideas on the social network Twitter.
Lineker wrote this Tuesday in his account that “there is not a huge influx of immigrants”, after the announcement by the Government of a law that will serve to detain and expel anyone who arrives irregularly from the United Kingdom. “We host far fewer refugees than other large European countries,” he added. And he called the law “cruel” and the language used to justify it “no different than what was used in Germany in the 1930s.”
The Minister of the Interior, Suella Braverman, a promoter of the law and the protagonist of its presentation in the media and in party videos, declared herself disappointed, and later offended, because her husband is Jewish. Conservative media, some with interests in private television, criticized the BBC’s highest-paid presenter. The English goalscorer had already outraged them by his public rejection of Brexit.
In recent days, the controversy over the independence of the public broadcaster centered on the election of its president, Richard Sharp, who took office after arranging a loan of close to one million euros for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He has kept the position after intense controversy.
of the guys
Contractually, the Match of the Day presenter is not a member of the BBC staff. Political issues are not discussed in the sports program. For this reason, Lineker’s supporters believe that the BBC cannot censor what he posts on Twitter. The current management of the entity insists that all BBC employees have to comply, on all public platforms, with the rules of impartiality that have given it credibility and prestige.
On Saturday night, the program was to feature two other international scorers, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright. Both resigned to be present and Wright assured in his podcast that he will no longer go to the BBC if he suspends Lineker. Throughout the day, the chain of resignations increased and public television had to cancel soccer programs on radio and television.
The now controversial character is 62 years old, he grew up in a Leicester family that had a fruit and vegetable stall. He excelled in soccer as an athletic and opportunistic goalscorer. He played for Everton and Tottenham, also for Barcelona. He has welcomed refugees in his house. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about his biography is that, in a career spanning almost two decades, he has never been shown a warning card.