Gary Lineker has been switched off by the BBC over his political tweets

Program on BBC which offers summaries of Premier League matches and interviews with coaches and players on Saturday evenings, had no presenter this Saturday, Gary Linekernor with the usual commentators, because The British public entity does not accept the former footballer’s freedom to express his political ideas on the Twitter social network.

On Tuesday, Lineker wrote on his official profile that “there is no large influx of immigrants”, after the Government announced a law that will serve to detain and deport anyone who arrives irregularly from the United Kingdom. “We receive far fewer refugees than other large European countries,” added Lineker. And he called the law “cruel” and the language used to justify it “is no different from that used in Germany in the 1930s.”

Minister of the Interior Suella Braverman, the promoter of the law and the protagonist of its presentation in the media and party videos, said she was disappointed and later offended because her husband is Jewish. Conservative media, some with interests in private television, criticized the BBC’s highest-paid presenter. The former England footballer has already angered them with his public rejection of Brexit.

In recent days, the controversy surrounding the independence of the public broadcaster has focused on the election of its president, Richard Sharp, who took office after arranging a loan of close to one million euros for former prime minister Boris Johnson. He kept his seat after fierce controversies.

Two faces

Contractually, manager of Match of the day (similar program Stadium Studio in Spain) is not a member of BBC staff. The sports program does not discuss political topics. Because, Lineker’s supporters believe the BBC cannot censor what he posts on Twitter. The entity’s current management insists that all BBC employees must adhere, on all public platforms, to the rules of impartiality that have given it credibility and prestige.

On this Saturday night, there were two more international scorers, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright. Both have resigned from their presence, and Wright has assured in his podcast that he will not go to the BBC again if Lineker is suspended. During the day, a series of resignations followed, and public television had to cancel football programs on radio and television.

Now the controversial figure is 62 years old, he grew up in a family from Leicester who had a fruit and vegetable stall. In football, he stood out as an athletic and opportunistic shooter. He played for Everton and Tottenham. Also in Barcelona. He welcomed refugees into his home. But perhaps the most interesting thing about his biography is that, in a career spanning almost two decades, he has never been shown a caution.