Gary Lineker’s brutal snub of BBC boss days before he quit revealed as he leaves channel for good in antisemitism row
GARY Lineker ended his Match of the Day career last night — as details emerged of his parting shot at his BBC boss.
The former England footie captain, 64, looked relaxed in a checked shirt and jeans and smiled as he arrived at the studios.
But it came after he recently left colleagues in no doubt about his feelings on BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski.
He was seen to snub his boss and made remarks about him which were described as “blunt”.
Gary was yesterday gearing up to host the football highlights show for the final time after 26 years — having quit amid an antisemitism row.
He started in 1999 alongside Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson and had been due to anchor the BBC’s World Cup coverage next year after leaving MOTD.
But he took the decision to quit the corporation altogether after he was blasted for reposting a video on social media which criticised Zionism with a picture of a rat — used as an insult to Jews by the Nazis.
He has repeatedly apologised.
Co-stars and close pals Micah Richards and Alan Shearer were also seen arriving at the MediaCity studios in Salford.
Insiders said there was no love lost between Gary and his boss Alex, who took over the top job at BBC Sport from Barbara Slater last April.
A source said: “By the end of Gary’s tenure at BBC Sport he didn’t have much time for Alex.
“When he was working on the FA Cup final, just two days before he quit, Alex came over to where Gary was and he just walked off without a word.
“He made a couple of remarks about Alex in earshot of people working around them. It’s clear there’s no love lost. Gary is really well liked and there are plenty of people who joked that they agreed with what he said.”