Gary Lineker has reportedly been snubbed for a presenting role by the BBC (Image: Getty)
Gary Lineker has reportedly been snubbed for a presenting role in the BBC’s new Champions League highlights show. The move raises questions over the former England striker's future with the corporation as he moves into the final 12 months of his contract.
Lineker reportedly held talks with the BBC over presenting the programme but the position has been landed by Gabby Logan. The Beeb have penned a three-year deal to show Champions League highlights for the first time from next season. A 16-show series will be screened every Wednesday evening, with a full line-up announcement expected after the Olympics.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Lineker was not made a formal offer over presenting the show and his busy schedule, including his successful The Rest Is Football podcast, is understood to have influenced his thinking. The 63-year-old was also reportedly reluctant to travel to the broadcaster's Salford studios from his west London home in midweek.
Lineker previously fronted BT Sport's coverage of the Champions League and would have seemed the obvious candidate to host the BBC's coverage. He stood down from that BT role in 2021 to see more of Leicester in European competition with his children.
The report adds that there is 'uncertainty' over whether Lineker will have his BBC contract renewed once it expires in 12 months' time. Fallout from his suspension last year after he commented on the then-Conservative government's immigration policy is said to have 'embarrassed' executives.
Lineker was stood down from presenting an episode of Match of the Day in March 2023 after comparing language used by Tory politicians to that of Nazi Germany. The BBC has strict impartiality guidelines for its staff, but the suspension prompted a strike from pundits including Arsenal icon Ian Wright.
The BBC have secured a new four-year deal to show Premier League highlights until 2029. It means that they will need clarity over Lineker's plans long before his £1.35million contract expires next summer, as they will need to source a new presenter should the ex-Leicester, Barcelona, Everton and Tottenham forward decide to step down.
Gary Lineker's BBC future is reportedly uncertain with only 12 months remaining on his contract (Image: Getty)
Monthly downloads of Lineker's podcast, which he hosts alongside guests Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, have increased by 62 per cent and some episodes have attracted over 500,000 views on YouTube.
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