London (EFE) British.
Lineker, the highest paid presenter of the British public corporation, has reached an agreement with the management of the BBC after the absence of the former Barcelona player from the screen forced the entity to almost paralyze its sports programming last weekend .
“Gary is a valuable part of the network and I know how much he means to the BBC,” BBC CEO Tim Davie said in a statement, also apologizing for the decision to suspend the media star.
Davie acknowledged that the “grey areas” in the guidelines on the use of social networks in the BBC caused the “potential confusion” generated around a “tweet” by Lineker in which he compared the plan to end the arrival of small boats from the Conservative government of Rishi Sunak with the policies of Nazi Germany.
For this reason, the executive head of the entity announced that a review of these principles will be undertaken by an independent expert, who will pay special attention to the use of networks by freelance collaborators of the BBC who do not work in the news (as is the case of Lineker). .
“We all recognize that this has been a difficult period for the staff, the collaborators, the presenters and, above all, our audience. I apologize for this, ”says the director in the note.
Subsequently, in an interview with the BBC itself, Davie said that the former soccer player has promised to respect the guidelines currently in force regarding his presence on networks, where he is known for defending progressive positions.
In his first reaction, Lineker said via Twitter that “after a few surreal days” he was “delighted” to have found a way out of the situation.
After expressing pride in working with “the best and fairest station in the world,” he recalled that no matter how difficult the last few days have been, “they cannot be compared to having to leave your home to flee persecution or war and seek refuge in a distant land”.
And despite his dispute with the BBC management, he wanted to thank Davie for his “understanding” as he “has the almost impossible job of keeping everyone happy, especially in the area of fairness.”
Last week, the Sunak Executive presented a plan that will prevent those who arrive in the UK by boat through the English Channel from seeking asylum, regardless of their country of origin or their personal circumstances.