Match Of The Day send-off plans for Gary Lineker revealed after BBC row

TV presenter WILL get a send-off in his final episode, the can reveal.

Bosses are pulling together an emotional montage, and famous players, managers and colleagues are set to pay tribute. He may also be given a Match of the Day cap, marking his 26 years on the show, similar to who received one when he left the show last year.

Pundits and close pals and will join Lineker in the studio for his final episode. A source said: “The are determined to mark his last show after what is an astonishing 26 years at the helm. Gary’s departure really is the end of an era. There will be tributes from some well-known faces, and a few surprises too.”

The former England striker replaced as the corporation’s main presenter of Match of the Day in 1999. The BBC is anticipating some push-back from the decision to give Lineker a send-off in .

The 64-year-old issued an unreserved apology after he shared a post about Zionism which featured a depiction of a rat, which is historically an antisemitic insult., the former director of BBC Television, only said this week: “The BBC has made the right decision to part ways with , but he should not be allowed a final swansong this weekend.”

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But a TV insider said the BBC’s mind appeared to be made up. The insider said: “The BBC will understand the sensitivities around this, and are of course sympathetic to them. But they no doubt believe it’s the right thing to pay tribute to a man who has delighted football audiences for so many years.”

Lineker, , announced last year that he would be leaving the programme at the end of the season, but would still host World Cup and coverage. However, in an apology video, he said Sunday will be his last show, adding it is “best for all concerned that I step down from BBC presenting duties altogether and not do next season’s FA Cup or World Cup”.

The presenter said he had not seen the emoji of the rat, an animal identified with antisemitic tropes, in the post he shared and added that he stands “against all forms of racism”, including antisemitism, “which I absolutely abhor”.

His football podcast will also have its last episode on the BBC’s audio streaming service this week. The Rest Is , which is produced by his company Goalhanger Podcasts, will have its last episode on BBC Sounds this week, but The Rest Is History will continue.

Lineker will be replaced on Match of the Day by , who will share the presenting role from the next season. In the wake of Lineker’s departure, the vice president of the Board Of Deputies Of British Jews, Andrew Gilbert, called on the BBC to implement antisemitism training for all its staff.

Lineker was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government’s new asylum policy.

He was also among 500 high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, on BBC .