Red card Sudden exit follows long but troubled relationship

For a footballer who went through an entire career without receiving a yellow card, it may seem like an unlikely end.

- Michael Savage

For a footballer who went through an entire career without receiving a yellow card, it may seem like an unlikely end. On Sunday night, Gary Lineker will be dispatched from the BBC's studios, having acknowledged making a serious error of judgment - one that BBC insiders said had left his position untenable.

While this weekend was always going to be Lineker's last Match of the Day, he had been due to front the corporation's FA Cup and World Cup coverage next year.

The reason for his premature departure is unambiguous. Last Tuesday, he reposted a pro-Palestine video on Instagram that included a rat emoji - symbolism used against Jewish people in Nazi Germany - causing immediate anger within the corporation.