GARY Lineker has confirmed he was sacked by the BBC after he was accused of sharing an anti-Semitic post.
The former Match of the Day presenter, 64, sparked fury after he shared a pro-Gaza video that likened supporters of Israel to rats, for which he later apologised.
The post, shared by Gary in May, included an illustration of a rat — historically used as an antisemitic slur.
Just days later, the former Leicester City, Barcelona and England striker announced his departure from the broadcaster after 26 years.
He made his final appearance on the Beeb’s flagship football show in May to present coverage of the end of the Premier League season.
It was initially believed that he had quit the show, but in an interview with The New World today, he revealed that he was actually fired by BBC bosses.
When asked if he had quit or if he was sacked, he admitted: “The latter.”
Last November, Lineker announced he would be stepping down from presenting Match Of The Day.
The footballing icon was set to continue hosting certain events, such as the next year’s World Cup and FA Cup coverage.
But he went on to say that he had “missed” the rat emoji in the post that ultimately spelled the end of his career at the broadcaster.
He continued: “I missed it [the rat emoji]. I genuinely didn’t see it.
“I’m not an idiot. I may not have known it was an antisemitic trope, but I would have wondered why someone had put a rat there.
“I wouldn’t do that on purpose – it would be the biggest act of self-harm ever. It was a tough couple of days.
“People talked about me being antisemitic. I’m not anti-any group of people. Any race, any colour. But I am anti the killing of children.
“I made a mistake and I immediately took it down and apologised, which I thought should have been enough.”
The rat accompanied footage of a Canadian-Palestinian lawyer attacking the war in Gaza with the caption “Zionism explained in two minutes“.
Speaking on his exit at the time, Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, said Lineker had “acknowledged his mistake”.
He added: “Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.
“Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades.
“His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond.
“We want to thank him for the contribution he has made.”
Last month, The Sun revealed that Beeb chiefs delivered a final snub to Lineker by axing his last interview without warning.
He was due to talk to Liverpool goal hero Mo Salah, but there were fears the host would say something controversial about Gaza.
A source said the plug was pulled by director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, who got the job last summer.
And there was “no love lost” between Lineker and Kay-Jelski — with the ex-England hero allegedly giving him the cold shoulder at the FA Cup final.
An insider said: “The plan was for the interview to be shown across the BBC the weekend of Gary’s final Match Of The Day.
“That would include on Football Focus the day before as well as online and on social media.
“Out of nowhere, it got cancelled. Some people think they didn’t want Gary and Mo to talk about Gaza.
“Salah has spoken out in his support for Palestinians living in Gaza and Gary has made his feelings clear too.
“It felt like it may have come up naturally in conversation.
“It seems they axed it rather than risk possible editorial issues.
“They’d only just overcome one storm so to face another would have been a nightmare.”
His final years as MOTD host have been marred by his outspoken views and fallouts with bosses.
In March 2023, Lineker was temporarily suspended from the BBC after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government’s new asylum policy.
He was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC, to re-broadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, to BBC iPlayer.
He is now likely to focus on his successful Goalhanger Podcasts business.
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