Gary Lineker faces uncertain future at Match of the Day | after email leak football

Gary Lineker could be nominated for his final appearance as Match of the Day presenter on Saturday following a BBC email leak, according to reports.

The sports broadcaster and former professional footballer has hosted the iconic BBC show for 25 years, but there are rumors it's all about to come to an end.

Lineker is currently the BBC's highest-paid presenter – with an annual salary of £1,350,000 – but his contract expires at the end of the 2024/25 season.

The Daily Mail reports that they have seen emails suggesting that Lineker will make his final appearance on Saturday despite still being under contract for over six months.

One of the secret emails is believed to have included a statement from BBC director general Tim Davie paying tribute to “world-class presenter” Lineker.

The BBC did not confirm whether the email was genuine or not, but a spokesman said: “We have nothing to announce and we have not agreed the next steps regarding his contract.” He is contracted until the end of the season. '

The 63-year-old, who played for Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham before retiring from football, has previously clashed with BBC bosses.

Lineker was forced to stop appearing on the BBC for three days in March 2023 after openly criticizing the government's immigration policy.

His social media post compared the Ministry of InteriorThe migrant boat policy towards Nazi Germany sparked both widespread praise and criticism.

Lineker was eventually allowed to return despite not being involved in the BBC's new Champions League highlights show.

Meanwhile, it was reported last month that Lineker had voluntarily agreed to take a £350,000 cut from his current contract in order to continue hosting Match of the Day.

This would result in his annual salary falling from £1,350,000 to £1,000,000 if the BBC agreed to the pay cut.

However, speaking in April 2023, Lineker expressed doubts about his Match of the Day future, saying: “I am ancient, my time is almost up.”

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