'I don't care': Simon Jordan reveals a wish for the day's match after Gary Lineker leaves
Simon Jordan fears Match of the Day risks losing its “value” as it enters its post-Gary Lineker era.
It has now been confirmed that the former English striker lower as host of the show at the end of the season having been the face of the show for 25 years.
He will continue to present coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025/26 season and the World Cup in 2026 on the BBC.
Choosing the right successor for Lineker will be vital and occasional Match of the day Expert Danny Murphy has already told talkSPORT. Who should take his place?.
But talkSPORT's Jordan has another concern for the show – apart from who will become the next host.
Speaking about Lineker's resignation on Tuesday's White and Jordan show, the former Crystal Palace owner said: “My concern is that they do with Match of the Day what they managed to do with Football Focus.
“That's turning it into a series of must-see items instead of actual content worth having, denigrating the show and turning it into an audience that has half the value it had before.”
Football Focus' ratings have reportedly suffered in recent years, with the show said to have lost a third of its viewers in four years.
Dan Walker hosted the show from 2009 to 2021 and was replaced by former England Women's star Alex Scott.
But while Jordan hopes Match of the Day doesn't go down that path now that it's undergoing a rebrand, he's not worried that Lineker in particular is a big mistake.
When asked about his departure, he said: “I don't really care. I don't find Gary Lineker particularly offensive in any shape or form. I think it's harmless. I don't agree with many of your opinions.
“I think some of the things he said about experiencing racism and his ridiculous remarks about the hypocrisy of going to Qatar while condemning it are a little ridiculous.
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“But as the host of Match of the Day, I don't tune into Match of the Day to hear Gary Lineker.
“I tune into Match of the Day because I think it's an iconic show.”
And Jordan believes the Premier League highlights program still has plenty of life left in it 60 years after its inception.
“I think it's a show that still has a great space,” he said.
“I think it was very important to the creation of the Premier League because, without the highlights package that Match the Day produced for terrestrial television, Sky would never have done the deal in the first place.
“So I think there's a lot of capital there. I know that people consume football differently and watch it differently than they have before across devices and all different media.
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“But I think it's still a very valuable proposition.”
You can see the current odds of the favorites for Gary LinekerMatch of the Day Replacement here.
