BBC CEO Tim Davey said on Saturday he would not step down despite backlash over British public broadcaster suspending famed host Gary Lineker over a tweet critical of the British government. broadcasts.

“Everyone wants the situation to be resolved peacefully,” Davey said in an interview with the BBC.

The British Network on Friday suspended Gary Lineker, a former footballer who hosts the hit show Match of the Day, after he accused the British government of using Nazi-era rhetoric to fight illegal immigration.

The suspension of the network’s collaboration with a top-notch presenter has caused serious problems for the BBC’s sports program on TV and radio.

Football commentators, including former England internationals Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, have decided to withdraw from their programs in “solidarity”.

Match of the Day, something of an institution in the UK where it has been broadcast since 1964, was broadcast yesterday for the first time without a host or commentator as part of a shortened 20-minute program featuring highlights from six matches in English. Premier League.

The Football Focus and Final Score shows were pulled from the schedule, and Radio 5Live’s coverage was also disrupted.

When asked if there was a possibility of him resigning, Davey replied: “Absolutely not”, noting that he was looking forward to “the issue being resolved”.

“To be clear, I think it would be a success to get Gary back on the air and together we can offer public coverage of international sports,” he added, noting that he “regrets that we couldn’t do it.” Today.”

The former footballer’s comments, who regularly share his views with his 8.8 million followers, have sparked controversy amid immigration tensions and criticism from the British right on the public network for a lack of impartiality.

The BBC initially said it would “talk” to the presenter.

On Friday, the network finally “decided that Gary Lineker would not present Match of the Day until we have a clear agreement with him on the use of social networking sites.”

By Saturday morning, Lineker’s online support had surpassed 190,000 signatures, and the #BoycottBBC hashtag was trending on Twitter.

Politically, the British network’s decision was condemned by figures from the opposition Labor Party to Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who said the BBC’s position was defenseless. According to her, this “jeopardizes freedom of expression in the face of political pressure.”

Source: AFP, APE-MPE.