Gary Lineker has been asked to "step back" from presenting Match of the Day over comments he made comparing the Government's asylum policy to Nazi Germany.
The popular BBC TV presenter, 62, was asked to step away from his role this weekend after refusing to apologise for comments he made, which the BBC has deemed a breach of their impartiality policy.
The former Leicester striker said the UK Government's Illegal Immigration Bill is "immeasurably cruel" saying that the language used is "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."
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Following meetings with the broadcaster this Friday, Lineker has been taken off air, with the BBC stating that the 62-year-old will not present the show until an agreement is made on his use of social media.
In a statement following discussions, the BBC said: "The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days. We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines.
"The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.
"When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies."
Following the announcement, co-host and Arsenal legend Ian Wright said: "Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity."
Third presenter, Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has also shown solidarity to his colleague Lineker, who holds the baton for the longest tenure of Match of the Day presenter, coming on the show in the late 1990s.
Shearer wrote: "I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night."
Lineker signed a five-year deal with the BBC three years ago, agreeing to their terms surrounding impartiality rules.
Under these rules, the father-of-four must not bring the BBC into disrepute, as per their agreement.
The controversy surrounds his tweets earlier this week. On Tuesday, Lineker took to Twitter to described the government's new Migration Bill as "beyond awful", later adding: "This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."
Gary Lineker broke his silence on the news that he is to "step back" from the popular Premier League highlights show on Friday.
Responding to his axing, Lineker told Channel 5: "They've told me I have to step back."
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