GARY Lineker has fired savage digs at the new BBC boss as the ex-footballer reveals why he left Match of the Day.
The TV veteran slammed BBC’s new director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, claiming he “has no TV experience” in a brutal interview with The Telegraph.
GettyGary Lineker has presented Match of the Day for a whopping 26 years.[/caption]
Lineker, 64, warned the BBC not to tamper too much with the iconic show, saying: “He has his reasons, he wants to change Match of the Day a bit.
The 64-year-old said: “He has his reasons, he wants to change Match of the Day a bit.
“Ultimately, I don’t think they will, because I don’t see how you move a highlights show away from being about highlights.”
Lineker presented Match of the Day for a staggering 26 years.
However, the 64-year-old claims that much has changed since the new BBC boss took charge last year.
“I think he wants more journalists – he has come from that background,”Gary added.
The ex-England striker says he’ll now focus on building his podcast “empire” after stepping down.
Goalhanger Podcasts, Lineker’s production company, has amassed a whopping 400million downloads last year.
It is now the largest independent podcast producer outside of the US and has a number of top podcasts hosted by recognisable faces.
Lineker also revealed that he has plans to travel to India to watch the cricket and hopes to revisit Mexico for the first time since the World Cup in 1986, where he secured the Golden Boot for England.
The former England and Barcelona striker will make his final appearance on the highlights show on May 25.
But will continue to front the BBC’s live FA Cup coverage next season and will also lead the coverage of the 2026 World Cup finals.
He said: “Once I’ve done the World Cup, I won’t be a football presenter again. I’ll focus more on my podcast empire.”
Recently the TV star as been unapologetically vocal about politics in recent years and has even come in for criticism for a number of opinions.
However, the legendary footballer has vowed to steer clear of entering the world of politics when he does end his punditry career in 2026.
He added: “I won’t get involved in politics, I never really have.
“Apart from the Brexit vote, because I did a lot of research on that and decided, ‘This could be worse than we think’.
“I never back a government. I might criticise Sir Keir Starmer on Israel. But nobody knows my politics.”
Lineker is being replaced as Match of the Day host by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman next season.
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