Gary Lineker remains steadfast in his support of his tweet that caused a major controversy with the BBC and resulted in his suspension from Match of the Day. The former England striker used social media to criticize the UK government’s new asylum policy, describing it as “beyond awful” and “immeasurably cruel”. He also accused the government of using language reminiscent of that used in Nazi Germany.
Lineker’s comments led to accusations that he had breached the BBC’s impartiality rules, prompting his suspension from Match of the Day and other shows. However, Lineker has insisted that he did not call anyone a Nazi and that his comments were factually accurate.
In a recent interview with Men’s Health Magazine, Lineker defended his original tweet, saying that he had worked with refugees’ charities for years and was therefore well aware of the issues at stake. He also rejected the idea that he had breached the BBC’s impartiality rules, saying that he was simply expressing his own opinion.
Although Lineker has now returned to work, he has not yet appeared on Match of the Day since his suspension. However, he has denied that this is due to any further disciplinary action and has instead attributed it to a pre-arranged holiday.