Gary Lineker will return to present Match of the Day after having the first red card of his career rescinded by the BBC following a VAR review.
The 62-year-old was given his marching orders by BBC bosses after challenging the Tory government’s latest immigration policy.
Lineker was facing a lengthy suspension until VAR intervened and invited the Beeb to take another look at the incident.
After a lengthy review, the national broadcaster reversed its decision and offered the presenter an apology instead.
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Stockley Park officials told Paddy Power News: ‘At first glance, it appears Mr Lineker has gone over the top with a robust challenge of the government’s policy by comparing it to 1930s Germany’.
‘But after review, and wholesale strike action by Mr Lineker’s Match of the Day colleagues, the BBC have u-turned and offered him a grovelling apology. Correct decision. No red card’.
Quizzed on why the red card was given to Manchester United star Casemiro instead, despite the midfielder having already been sent off for a separate incident yesterday, VAR said:
‘Just because’.
Addressing the BBC’s decision to reinstate him, Lineker tweeted:
‘This has been the most embarrassing Match of the Day incident since the sex noise prank’.
‘I would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming support, particularly the Liverpool supporters who showed solidarity by boycotting Match of the Day on Saturday night’.
‘If there are any positives to take from this, we were all spared an entire weekend of Danny Murphy’s punditry’.
The news will come as a blow to Wayne Lineker who the BBC had lined up to replace his brother as Match of the Day host.
It’s understood the Ibiza nightclub owner fought off stiff competition from Nigel Farage, Noel Edmonds and Mr Blobby to land the role before the Beeb’s reversal.
On losing out on his boyhood dream of presenting Match of the Day, Mr Blobby tweeted:
‘Blobby blob blob’ accompanied by a sad face emoji.
*Paddy Power’s breaking news coverage is 110% nonsense and that’s the truth. Honest.
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