Lineker case: Premier League players will not give interviews to support commentator | English football

In solidarity with Match of the Day colleagues, former England players Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have also announced that they will not be taking part in the programme.

“We have been informed that players participating in Match of the Day will not be invited to participate in interviews for Match of the Day. The PFA has spoken to members who wish to take a collective stand to show their support for those who have chosen to opt out of the programme. During these conversations we have made it clear that we as a union will We support all members who may face consequences for choosing not to fulfill their broadcasting obligations. This is a logical decision that ensures players are not put in this position.”

A BBC spokesperson confirmed that the Saturday show would “focus on game work, without a presenter or studio commentator”. Before the decision was officially made by the broadcaster, Lineker still believed he would be ahead of gravity on Saturday.

The crisis that led to Lineker’s dismissal began when the former England national team striker, top scorer of the 1986 World Cup, criticized the language used by the British government in announcing the new policy against immigration, under the slogan “Stop the boats.” Referring to refugees arriving in the country by sea.

In contrast to the procedures, Lineker compared the government’s communication at the launch of the program to the language used by Hitler’s Nazi regime in Germany in the late 1930s.

Lineker’s stance drew criticism from right-wing newspapers in the UK. The UK’s state broadcaster, the BBC, said it considered Lineker’s recent placements on its social networks to be a breach of company guidelines. However, this action sparked strong controversy, with allegations that Lineker was being censured for criticizing the government.

Gary Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999, but the program is much older and more traditional: the first edition was published in 1964 and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as “the world’s longest-running sports television program”.