“Lineker riot”, “BBC mutiny”, “The Beebs went too far”… Friday night’s announcement of the temporary suspension of Gary Lineker, former footballer and host of the wildly popular ‘Match Of The Day’ show, aroused the protests in such a way thus Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to Paris the day before was widely eclipsed on the front pages of British newspapers.

The former England team striker, who has been presenting football broadcasts since 1999, was suspended by the British audiovisual giant after criticizing on Tuesday a new Conservative government bill seeking to prevent migrants coming through the Canal de la Mancha from seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, a project which has been criticized even in United Nations.

It was a “cruel policy towards the most vulnerable, in terms not dissimilar to those used by Germany in the 1930s,” the 62-year-old former footballer, who regularly shares his progressive views with 8.8 million followers, wrote on Twitter. Twitter. follower.

The departure caused chaos in the BBC’s sports programming.

Former footballers Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, among others, refused to participate in Saturday’s ‘Match of the Day’ broadcast, leaving the program on the air without presenters, analysts or commentators, and 20-minute summaries of six matches.

wave of support

The BBC first stated it would speak to the presenter. On Friday, the audiovisual group finally decided “that (Lineker) will stop performing ‘Match Of The Day’ until we reach a clear agreement with him about his use of social networks.”

The reaction was immediate: six commentators announced their withdrawal taking into account these “circumstances”, as well as the panelists from the broadcast.

Due to staff shortages, the midday broadcast of ‘Football Focus’ was replaced at the last minute by an antiques program, while the DIY broadcast will be broadcast at 1630 GMT instead of ‘Final Score’.

An online petition to support Lineker exceeds 165,000 signatures.

“We apologize for this change and acknowledge that it is disappointing to BBC Sport fans,” the channel said in a statement. “We are working to resolve this situation.”

On the political side, the audiovisual group’s decision was criticized by many figures, from the opposition Labor Party to Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who described the BBC’s position as “untenable”, which she said endangered free expression in the face of political pressure”.

“The BBC doubts its own credibility by appearing to cave in to government pressure,” said former BBC director general Greg Dyke.

Impartiality

Despite the criticism, BBC director general Tim Davie said he would not be stepping down.

“Everyone wants to act to resolve the situation calmly,” Davie said in an interview with the outlet in charge.

The BBC has been heavily criticized lately, with accusations of straying from Brexit reporting and focusing on the interests of urban elites.

The group has since claimed to place impartiality as a “priority”.

Gary Lineker, who scored 48 goals for England until his retirement in 1994, did not react publicly to his suspension but reiterated this week that he fully understood his words.

Nicknamed ‘Mister Nice’ for his impeccable behavior throughout his career (he never received a yellow card), he has a habit of expressing his political position on social media, especially against Brexit and defending emigrants.

Lineker was this Saturday in Leicester (centre), his hometown, where he started his professional career, to watch the ‘Foxes’ game against Chelsea, for the Premier League.

The new bill, which the government says seeks to end the arrival of emigrants through the English Channel, was criticized by the association for the defense of human rights and by the United Nations, which accused London of wanting to “put the right end of asylum”.