GARY LINEKER’S beloved Leicester City have inadvertently soured the BBC legend’s Match of the Day swansong.
The former England striker is leaving his presenting role on the iconic BBC show after 26 years.
BBCGary Lineker is leaving Match of the Day after presenting the show since 1999[/caption]
GettyOne of his final jobs on set will be reviewing his team Leicester’s relegation[/caption]
Lineker will continue to front the BBC’s live FA Cup coverage next season and the 64-year-old will also front coverage of the 2026 World Cup finals.
But he will be making his final appearance on the iconic highlights show on May 25 to wrap up the season’s final round of games.
A Match of the Day tradition will see him end his final broadcast on a sour note.
At the end of each season, the pundits conduct a final review of the Premier League table.
And Lineker, a boyhood Foxes fans who spent the first seven years of his career at Filbert Street, will be forced to acknowledge Leicester’s immediate return to the Championship.
The Foxes were relegated on April 20 and currently sit 19th in the table, with only Southampton behind.
Lineker might have had plenty of time to process the relegation – but one of his final acts on MOTD will be announcing his side’s return to the Championship.
Lineker has already presented his final Saturday night MOTD, with the Premier League’s final fixtures falling on a Sunday.
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Following a drab set of results, he quipped: “After 26 years of Saturday nights, I think that was probably one of the worst – no offence, lads.
“Time to move on, I reckon. Goodbye!”
The Beeb announced in January that a new three-person presenting team would replace Lineker.
Kelly Cates, 49, will be joined by Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan from next season.
Lineker said it had been a “joy and a privilege” to present Match of the Day for more than two decades.
He added on The Rest Is Football podcast: “I feel this is now the right time [to leave].
“I think the next contract they’re looking to do Match of the Day slightly differently, so I think it makes sense for someone else to take the helm.”
Lineker also confirmed he will not be heading to a rival broadcaster now he has left the BBC.
Lineker told FourFourTwo: “I don’t think you’ll see me doing much football, apart from the podcast.
“I’ll do the odd thing, but I don’t think you’ll see me appearing regularly on another channel.”
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