Gary Lineker returned to presenting Match of the Day on Saturday night time after a row that threatened to topple the BBC chairman and director common.
As the previous England world presented are living BBC protection of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley, pundit Alan Shearer touched at the fresh controversy.
“I just need to clear up and wanted to say how upset we were that all the audiences who missed out on last weekend,” Shearer mentioned. “It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned and through no fault of their own, some really great people in TV and in radio were put in an impossible situation and that wasn’t fair.
“So it’s good to get back to some sort of normality and be talking about football again.”
Lineker responded: “Absolutely, I echo those sentiments.”
Before the show began, Lineker shared a photograph of himself in a BBC studio alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, who boycotted the show last weekend in solidarity, with the caption “Teammates”. He also tweeted one of himself at the stadium with the caption: “Ah the joys of being allowed to stick to football.”
Mark Chapman will host the Match of the Day highlights show later on Saturday.
Lineker, 62, was suspended from the BBC’s flagship football program last weekend for a tweet comparing the language used about the government’s policy to deal with small boats to 1930s Germany.
His remark drew the ire of Tory politicians, with the prime minister’s press secretary saying it was “not acceptable” and the home secretary deeming it “offensive”.
The BBC subsequently took Lineker off air. A former England striker, Lineker has presented Match of the Day since 1999. He has since become the BBC’s highest-paid presenter.
Through the controversy, Lineker received widespread support from colleagues, footballers and fans alike after what many thought was a disproportionate response from the BBC.
As the corporation scrambled to look for a replacement host for last weekend’s Match of the Day, the pool of candidates shrunk dramatically. Frontrunners for the role – from athletes-turned-commentators to veteran sports journalists – publicly bowed out of the running in solidarity with Lineker.
The BBC ended up running the show without a host, pundits or commentators.
Lineker’s reinstatement was announced on Monday when the BBC director general, Tim Davie, apologized for the “difficult period” in sports programming and announced an independent review of the corporation’s social media guidelines.
“Everyone recognizes this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences,” Davie mentioned. “I express regret for this. The doable confusion led to via the grey spaces of the BBC’s social media steering that used to be presented in 2020 is recognised. I wish to get issues resolved and our sports activities content material again on air.”
In a joint statement with Davie, Lineker said he was “happy that we have got discovered some way ahead”.
“I reinforce this assessment and sit up for getting again on air,” he said.
When asked by La Liga TV on Friday how the past week has been, Lineker replied: “Really quiet! Nothing a lot happening. You may say it is been a fascinating week however I’m nonetheless right here, nonetheless punching.
“It used to be fascinating and in addition massively pleasurable. I had an incredible quantity of reinforce from my buddies and associates, which used to be moderately gorgeous if truth be told.”
He added: “It was totally disproportionate the whole thing, but we’re OK. It’s resolved, I’m relieved, I’m back to work tomorrow and all is well with the world.”
