Gary Lineker was sacked by the BBC following controversy over a social media post he shared in May 2025. The post was about Zionism and included an illustration of a rat, a symbol historically associated with antisemitism, particularly from Nazi Germany propaganda. Although Lineker apologized for sharing the image and stated that he did not intend to promote antisemitism, the BBC management deemed the situation untenable. This incident was seen as a tipping point after previous criticisms of Lineker's social media activity, which had already strained his relationship with the BBC due to concerns over impartiality and political activism. As a result, the BBC and Lineker mutually agreed for him to step down earlier than originally planned, ending his role as the host of Match of the Day and his association with BBC football coverage.
