Gary Lineker, the former England and Tottenham striker, has openly expressed his views about Mark Chapman, the new host of Match of the Day. After an impressive 26-year tenure as host of BBC's flagship football programme, Lineker stepped down at the conclusion of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Lineker had initially planned to conclude his stint with BBC after hosting the 2026 World Cup. However, he decided to part ways with them in May following accusations of antisemitism. Despite denying any intentional use of an anti-Jewish slur and attributing it to a "genuine mistake" after sharing a controversial video online titled 'Zionism explained in two minutes', he agreed to leave.
Following Lineker's departure, three presenters - Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan - have taken over as hosts for Match of The Day. While acknowledging their stepping into what is undoubtedly going to be a challenging role, Lineker also highlighted that they need to understand the significant commitment required for fronting this iconic weekly show.
Gary Lineker's perspective on Mark Chapman
Chapman was seen as a strong contender for taking over Match Of The Day due to his experience hosting Sunday’s edition Match Of The Day 2 since 2013. He also occasionally filled in for Lineker on Saturday shows. In his final broadcast before stepping down from his role at BBC’s flagship football programme, Linekar spoke highly about all three successors stating that “The programme is in best hands.”
However during an interview with Four Four Two magazine recently ,he did not shy away from warning them about pressures associated with this job while reiterating that he believes they will succeed.
Gary Lineker, BBC pundit, said:
"That's probably down to the fact it's a massive commitment. Those three have all got families, and if you're saying someone is going to do it for the next 10 or 20 years, then your weekends are gone. That might be it, I don't know. I didn't get involved in any of that. I take it as a compliment that they've named three, but I suspect it's not due to that."
"I haven't seen them yet to speak to them, but I will do – they'll be fine and they'll do a great job. I've known them all for years, they're top presenters."
While Gary Lineker has left big shoes to fill as host of Match of The Day, his faith in Mark Chapman and co-hosts Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan is clear. As they navigate their new roles under the spotlight, they will undoubtedly draw upon their extensive experience in sports broadcasting and hopefully continue to deliver engaging content for sports fans worldwide.
