Gary Lineker to host his final Match Of The Day today amid exit from the BBC
He's departure will be marked with a tribute similar to the one given to Ian Wright when he left last year, it is understood.
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A post shared by Gary Lineker (@garylineker) Gary Lineker to host final Match Of The Day today
Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day since 1999, attracted criticism after sharing a social media post about Zionism which featured an emoji of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic trope.
He issued an unreserved apology for the 'hurt and upset caused' by the video, stating it was a 'genuine mistake'.
Lineker, the BBC's highest-paid presenter, said in an Instagram video that it was 'best for all concerned that I step down from BBC presenting duties altogether'.
'It's been a pleasure and a huge privilege working with the BBC for 30 years, especially hosting Match of the Day, a programme that is so close to my heart and an integral part of my life,' he added.
Lineker joined the programme after starting out as a BBC Radio Five Live presenter, also working on Grandstand during his early years in broadcasting.
He is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which makes The Rest Is History series and its spin-offs about politics, football, entertainment and money.
His podcast, The Rest Is Football, which he co-hosts alongside Match Of The Day pundits Shearer and Micah Richards, will have its last episode on BBC Sounds this week, but The Rest Is History will continue on BBC Sounds, PA understands.
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The presenter was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 over an impartiality row about comments he made criticising the then-government's new asylum policy.
In February of this year he was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter calling on the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, to BBC iPlayer.
Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman will replace the Leicester-born star and share the presenting role on Match Of The Day from the next Premier League season.
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