adminDOHA. — Gary Lineker has branded the United States “an extraordinarily racist country” as the BBC became embroiled in a new row over the former England striker-turned-TV presenter’s political pronouncements.
Lineker, who has not been afraid to make his stance clear on various political issues in the past, took aim at World Cup host nation Qatar’s human rights record in a monologue to open the BBC’s coverage of the tournament.
Qatar hit back by branding the BBC’s coverage as “very racist” and claimed they had reached out to discuss the issue raised with Lineker before the tournament, although the pundit denied that was the case.
But Lineker once again went on the offensive when discussing the next hosts of the World Cup.
“We pointed facts out at the beginning of the tournament, those facts remain” he told the News Agents podcast.
“So, lots of people were killed doing the stadiums.
“Yes, the stadiums are extraordinary, but at a great price. Homophobia is an issue here, women’s rights are a little bit of an issue here.
“For me, it was always really more about the corruption side of it because, as I said previously, I think pretty much every country, including our own, has got issues.
“And we’re off to America in four years’ time, with Canada and Mexico, but obviously America’s an extraordinarily racist country. “So, there’s always issues but it was more the fact that we just pointed out a few facts and particularly the aspect of it being so corrupt – they said it was going to be summer and it was in the winter.
“I don’t think anything’s particularly changed but it’s been a cracking tournament but that’s football; football is a wonderful sport.”
Lineker’s interview also saw him asked whether he would support a law change banning ITV showing England’s World Cup matches over the “curse” that has seen them repeatedly crash out of tournaments when on the channel, including against France on Saturday.
“I’m not going to join in that – that will create terrible headlines,” he initially said, before adding: “Obviously, it’s completely superstitious but… why not? Why not?”
Pressed on whether there was an “ITV curse”, he replied: “It felt like it the other night again but obviously that sort of stuff is nonsense. And I used to be very superstitious about these things, but I learned a long time ago that superstition is unlucky.”— msn.
Online Reporter