BBC says talks with Gary Lineker ‘moving in the right direction’
Former British football player and BBC presenter Gary Lineker leaves his home in London
Talks between the BBC and Gary Lineker are “moving in the right direction” after the broadcaster’s sports coverage suffered disruption throughout the weekend, the corporation has reported.
There are “hopes of a resolution soon, but not all issues are ‘fully resolved’ at this stage”, BBC News said.
Football coverage on BBC TV and radio shows was hit across the weekend as pundits walked out in “solidarity” with Lineker after the former England captain was told to stand down from presenting Match of the Day when he compared language used to launch a new Government asylum seeker policy with 1930s Germany.
Match of the Day aired for only 20 minutes on Saturday without accompanying commentary or analysis from presenters, and Sunday’s edition of Match of the Day 2 will run for a reduced 15 minutes.
Coverage of the Women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Manchester United also aired without a pre-match presentation, and with world feed commentary used instead of regular BBC presenters.
