The BBC described Gary Lineker's presenting abilities as "second to none" in the statement that confirmed he would be "stepping back" from his Match of the Day hosting duties on Friday.
Such language implied that the decision, which had come amid social media comments made by Lineker earlier in the week, had been reached amicably and would only be temporary. But once it became clear that it was the BBC's call - rather than a joint one - to suspend the 62-year-old from the role he's held for over two decades due to a "breach of guidelines", the statement sparked a major backlash from several of Lineker's colleagues and the general public.
As things stand, Saturday's Match of the Day will now go ahead without a host or any pundits for the first time ever after several regulars refused to appear on this weekend's broadcast. And in addition, the six commentators who were scheduled to cover Saturday's fixtures also confirmed they would not be participating in the show late on Friday night.
There could be more headaches for the BBC to negotiate, too: Premier League players have been in contact with The Professional Footballer's Association (PFA) and the organisation will support anybody who does not fulfil their contracted media obligations with the BBC this weekend.
To say the response to Lineker's axing has been a disaster for the BBC would, perhaps, be an understatement.
But how did we get here? Just 24 hours before the broadcaster's initial statement, Lineker was set to present this weekend's Match of the Day after riding out a storm following remarks on social media earlier this week. Here, Mirror Football recaps how Lineker and the BBC found themselves here...
Lineker speaks out
The saga started when Lineker responded to the government's controversial new Illegal Migration Bill on Tuesday; he branded Suella Braverman's new policy as "beyond awful" on social media.
In a later tweet which was issued in response to somebody who claimed he was "out of order", Lineker hit back and described the language used in the unveiling of the government's new policy as "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the '30s."
Lineker's tweet sparks outrage amongst several MPs, who insist that the BBC presenter has crossed a line with his comments.
Lineker stands firm
Despite being targeted by several MPs over his remarks, Lineker stood firm on Wednesday morning and refused to apologise for his tweets after he was surrounded by reporters outside his home.
Although a BBC source later claimed that no action would be taken against Lineker by the broadcaster, it was outlined that he would be "spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities".
After he had thanked people for their support on Wednesday morning, Lineker made it clear that as far as he was concerned, it was now business as usual on Thursday afternoon. He tweeted: “Well, it’s been an interesting couple of days. Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting on Saturday.”
BBC makes U-turn - and sparks major backlash
Although it seemed as though Lineker had ridden out the storm, the BBC announced in a statement on Friday evening that Lineker would be "stepping back" from his role on Match of the Day whilst they work on "an agreed and clear position on his use of social media".
Shortly after the statement is issued, Lineker got in touch with Dan Walker on Channel Five to reveal that he had been taken off air by the BBC rather than agreeing to step back.
Unified response
Match of the Day regulars Ian Wright and Alan Shearer then took to social media to confirm they were pulling out of Saturday's show before various other potential guests or stand-in hosts followed suit, including Alex Scott and Jermaine Jenas.
The BBC confirmed in a statement on Friday night that Saturday night's Match of the Day broadcast would proceed without a host or studio guests for the first time ever.
Shortly after the BBC's latest statement, the six commentators who were due to participate in Saturday night's show announced they would also not be taking part in the broadcast.
What happens next?
Nothing has yet been confirmed but it seems as if the popular show will go ahead with just the highlights, meaning fans will miss out on the usual analysis that complements the action.
The BBC will likely use the World Feed commentary over the top of the highlights, which will bleed one into the other in line with the general running order of the show.
A BBC spokesperson on Friday night said: "Some of our pundits have said that they don't wish to appear on the programme while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary. We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry."
The Mirror has launched a petition to have Gary Lineker reinstated at the BBC and as the host of Match of the Day. Sign it here.
