Gary Lineker in tears as BBC Match of the Day host admits ‘it wasn’t meant to end this way’ in last show
Gary Lineker delivered an emotional farewell on his final Match of the Day appearance on Sunday night, with the former footballer visibly moved as he wrapped up 25 years hosting the iconic BBC football programme.
The 64-year-old presenter welled up during Sunday night’s show as he bid goodbye to viewers following his recent axing amid an anti-Semitism controversy.
At the beginning of the broadcast, Lineker hinted at the circumstances of his departure, saying “it wasn’t meant to end this way” before pausing and continuing with the football analysis.
His £1.4 million role came to an end after a quarter-century of presenting the nation’s most beloved football highlights show.
Lineker was removed from his position last week after sharing a pro-Palestine Instagram video featuring a rat emoji, which critics condemned as promoting an anti-Semitic trope. Images of rats were historically used by Nazi Germany to depict Jewish people.
Following the controversy, Lineker “apologised unreservedly” for his actions, stating he was unaware of the symbol’s meaning and adding: “I would never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic it goes against everything I stand for”.
He described stepping down from the BBC, where he was once the highest-paid star, as “the responsible course of action” and will leave without receiving a pay-off from his £1.4 million salary.
The former England striker was honoured with a seven-minute tribute on MOTD featuring an impressive array of football luminaries.
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Pep Guardiola, Virgil van Dijk, Ian Wright, and even Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli appeared in the montage celebrating his career. Other notable figures included Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Danny Murphy, Alan Smith, Alan Hansen, Guy Mowbray, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Shilton, Claudio Ranieri and Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
The BBC also paid tribute to their long-serving anchor with a montage of some of his goals and early presenting work before the main titles sequence.
His long-time friends and co-hosts Shearer and Richards, with whom he presents The Rest Is Football podcast, gifted him a Match of the Day cap and a golden boot.
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At the end of the show, Lineker delivered a heartfelt farewell speech, paying tribute to his colleagues: “Let me take the opportunity to thank all the other pundits I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years.
“You’ve made my job so much easier.”
He acknowledged the behind-the-scenes team, saying: “Everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits.”
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Lineker wished his successors well: “I’d like to wish Gabby (Logan), Mark (Chapman), and Kelly (Cates) all the best when they sit in the chair. The programme is in the best of hands. Thank you for all your love and support over the years. It’s been so special.”
Throughout the broadcast, there were numerous references to Lineker’s departure. During the Fulham vs Manchester City match, commentator Mark Scott remarked as Kevin De Bruyne was substituted on: “One of the best in the business makes his final appearance in front of the Match of the Day cameras today. And you can of course say the same about Kevin De Bruyne here at Fulham!”
Micah Richards joked that Levi Colwill was “like a prime Gary Lineker” for his movement when scoring against Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot also paid tribute, telling Lineker: “Thank you for being a great presenter of a BBC show I have watched many times when I lived in Holland and now still.”
In a recent interview with Telegraph Sport, Lineker appeared to take a swipe at the BBC’s director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, suggesting a “regime change” at the corporation.
“He has his reasons, he wants to change Match of the Day a bit,” Lineker said about his exit.
The departing presenter expressed scepticism about potential format changes, adding: “Ultimately, I don’t think they will, because I don’t see how you move a highlights show away from being about highlights.”
Lineker further commented on Kay-Jelski’s background, saying: “I think he wants more journalists – he has come from that background. He has got no television experience.”