Gary Lineker snubbed by BBC to present new Champions League show

The BBC have opted for a different name instead

As of this season, the BBC will show highlights of the Champions League games after signing a bumper deal back in 2022.

They will have 16 shows planned on Wednesday evenings from September to May.

Who will host the show?

Lineker would've been the natural first guess to take the role of lead presenter however the BBC have opted for a different route and according to The Telegraph, Gabby Logan will host the show.

Despite holding talks with the BBC about the role, the 63-year-old's busy schedule that includes his Rest is Football podcast, Match of the Day and the travel commitments to the studios in Salford from his London home affected his decision.

Logan is a well-established host for the BBC, covering a variety of sports that includes rugby, football and coverage of the Olympics.

Lineker set for talks about future

The 63-year-old still has 12 months left to run on his contract at the BBC but his relationship with the broadcaster has been tense to say the least in recent times.

He was reprimanded by the corporation in 2023 following a social media post in which he compared the then-Conservative government's language around asylum policy being not too dissimilar to 'that used by Germany in the 30s'.

Alan Shearer and Ian Wright were among the many to defend their colleague and he was eventually retuned to screens after a brief hiatus.