- Gary Lineker will step down as Match of the Day host at the end of the season
- Reports claim that Mark Chapman will refuse to share the role with the co-hosts.
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The BBC has reportedly delved into more drama amid plans to share the Match of the Day role between several presenters following the departure of Gary Lineker.
It was confirmed on Tuesday that Lineker would leave the iconic football show at the end of the season after 25 years as presenter.
The 63-year-old is believed to have volunteered to take a huge pay cut of £350,000 a year from his current salary of £1.35million, to remain in the job.
However, new boss Alex Kay-Jelski has leaned towards revamping the show (with talk of a rotating cast of hosts) and apparently turned down Lineker’s offer.
the sun They claim the BBC wants Mark Chapman and Kelly Somers to take turns in the dugout, but insiders say Chapman doesn’t like the idea.
Gary Lineker has left Match of the Day after 26 years on the BBC’s flagship football programme.
Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman is the favorite to replace Lineker
However, reports claim Chapman is unwilling to rotate the role with Kelly Somers (pictured).
The outlet claims that Chapman has steadfastly refused to share in the Match of the Day work.
The 51-year-old, who is currently hosting Match of the Day 2, made it clear he does not want to split the biggest role with Somers.
A source told the outlet: “As soon as the deal with Gary was done, Alex made it clear that he wanted Mark and Kelly to replace him.
‘It would effectively be a shared job and they would rotate the hosting tasks between them. Mark has made it clear within the MOTD team that this is not something he would like to do.
“He doesn’t want to share the job, he wants Gary’s role as his own, which is understandable. It’s a headache for the BBC because they thought they had found an easy solution.
“We are back to the drawing board and negotiations are ongoing.”
After 25 years at the helm of the BBC’s flagship football programme, Lineker has become an indelible figure in the minds of football fans.
His direction brought a number of memorable moments for the show and its audience, for example presenting the show in his underwear as part of a bid after his Leicester team’s unprecedented Premier League crown.
“Broadcaster Gary Lineker will step down as presenter of flagship football show Match of the Day at the end of this season, BBC News understands,” the BBC wrote on Monday night.
His contract with the BBC ends at the end of this season but he has been granted an 18-month extension. However, that will not include Match of the Day presenting duties.
Lineker’s contract expires at the end of the season but he has received an 18-month extension
A source claims that Chapman “doesn’t want to share the job, he wants Gary’s role as his own.”
Lineker is the BBC’s highest-paid presenter with a salary of £1.35m and his departure will close a long chapter for one of the country’s most iconic programmes.
The 1986 World Cup Golden Boot winner came under fire in the summer when he described England’s performance against Denmark in a 1-1 draw as “bullshit”.
His comments sparked retaliation from Harry Kane, who lashed out at attacks from experts who knew what it means to “wear the shirt.”
Lineker also currently hosts a hugely successful podcast alongside fellow Match of the Day pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, and will continue to do so once he leaves the show at the end of the season.