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    Euro 2024 final stadium is steeped in twisted history and is home to English football’s most shameful episode

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    GARETH SOUTHGATE and his players will walk in the footsteps of sporting infamy on Sunday.And they also have the chance to wipe out the memories of English football’s most shameful episode by replacing it with glorious triumph.The Olympiastadion in Berlin is where the Euro 2024 final will take place between England and SpainCredit: GettyThe stadium is famous for Jesse Owens humiliating Adolf Hitler at the OlympicsCredit: Hulton Archive – GettyBut for many the venue is also famous for England’s most shameful episodeCredit: RexThe FA shamefully ordered the England team to perform a Nazi salute during a friendly in 1938Credit: Getty – ContributorThe stadium has a capacity of 110,000 fansCredit: RexFor many, the Olympiastadion will always be the place where Jesse Owens humiliated Adolf Hitler in his own backyard.But the 1936 Olympics WERE used by the Nazis as pure propaganda, as a statement about the supposed supremacy of the “Aryan race”.The ghosts of those Games still flit between the towers and the colosseum-style architecture.Fans walking in on Sunday will see the plinth where the Olympic cauldron was lit by Fritz Schilgen – handpicked by propagandist film-maker Leni Riefenstahl – still there, high in the stands above one goal.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd two years later, when the FA disgracefully ordered England’s players to raise their arm in the Nazi salute before beating Germany in a friendly, it seemed that the British state was implicitly accepting Hitler’s authority and power.The Three Lions have the opportunity to right that ancient wrong yet nothing can detract from the stadium’s place in the pantheon of sport’s darkest hours.Hitler, coming to power in 1933, two years after the Games had been awarded to Berlin, decided that the entire event had to be homage to his ideology and ambition.He stuck with the site in the Grunewald Forest, to the west of the city centre, that had initially been chosen for the 1916 Games that were cancelled following the outbreak of World War One.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHitler used the Olympics to promote the supposed supremacy of the ‘Aryan race’Credit: Getty – ContributorThe ghosts of those Games still flit between the towers and the colosseum-style architectureCredit: GettyBut from what was originally just a stadium, Hitler demanded more, a sports complex named the “Reichssportsfeld” with the stadium at its heart.The original architect Werner March and his brother Walter were re-engaged.England fans gush ‘my manager’ as incredible footage emerges of Southgate going wild after reaching Euro 2024 final However, the main design changes were under the direction of Albert Speer, the “architect of the Third Reich” who later became Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production and who was handed a 20-year jail sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials.Construction of the 330 acre site took just two years, with the stadium having a capacity of 110,000 fans, including a special stand for Hitler and the Nazi High Command.At the western end stood the 77m high Bell Tower, which gave a view of the entire city from the top and which contained the 9.6 tonne Olympic Bell, adorned with the Olympic Rings, an eagle, the year 1936, a depiction of the Brandenburg Gate and the motto “I call the youth of the world” between two swastikas.The design was deliberate. Hitler’s racial theories postulated that the “Master Race” were the natural inheritors of the Roman Empire.Echoing Rome’s most famous ancient monument leaned into that theory, while the Olympic Rings remain where they were hung between the two huge towers at the stadium site entrance.It was about power, grandeur, history and a warped and twisted view of all of them.Construction of the 330 acre site took just two yearsCredit: GettyIn the build-up to the Games, Hitler demanded that the IOC ban black Jewish athletes from taking partCredit: AP:Associated PressIn the build-up to the Games, Hitler demanded that the IOC ban black Jewish athletes from taking part.That was refused but fencer Helene Mayer, whose mother was Jewish, was the only Jew selected by the host country.The Opening Ceremony, devised and then filmed by Riefenstahl, was an exercise in pure propaganda, with Lithuania banned from taking part in the Games on the direct orders of the German government after the trials and convictions of two prominent local Nazi leaders.A number of countries, including Spain and Ireland, boycotted the Games, along with many Jewish athletes from other nations.When the Games commenced, Hitler was in situ to celebrate German victories as an endorsement of his regime, although he was only interested in shaking the hands of home winners.But those flawed claims of Aryan glory were to be blown apart by Owens, who back home in the Deep South was used to the deprivations caused by Segregation.England vs Spain recordEngland have played Spain 27 times in total – here is a look at every result…May 1929, Spain 4-3 England – International Friendly (L)December 1931, England 7-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)July 1950, Spain 1-0 England – World Cup (L)May 1955, Spain 1-1 England – International Friendly (D)November 1955, England 4-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)May 1960, Spain 3-0 England – International Friendly (L)October 1960, England 4-2 Spain – International Friendly (W)December 1965, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)May 1967, England 2-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)April 1968, England 1-0 Spain – European Championship (W)May 1968, Spain 1-2 England – European Championship (W)March 1980, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)June 1980, England 2-1 Spain – European Championship (W)March 1981, England 1-2 Spain – International Friendly (L)July 1982, Spain 0-0 England – World Cup (D)February 1987, Spain 2-4 England – International Friendly (W)September 1992, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)June 1996, England 0(4)-(2)0 Spain – European Championship (W)February 2001, England 3-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)November 2004, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)February 2007, England 0-1 Spain – International Friendly (L)February 2009, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)November 2011, England 1-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)November 2015, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)November 2016, England 2-2 Spain – International Friendly (D)September 2018, England 1-2 Spain – Nations League (L)October 2018, Spain 2-3 England – Nations League (W)Overall, England have won 14, drawn three and lost 10 matches against Spain.In the space of seven days, he won four gold medals, in the 100m, long jump, 200m and 4x100m relay.Hitler, outraged at seeing a black athlete conquer, left the stadium early to avoid the medals ceremony although he was reported to have “saluted” the victor.According to Speer: “The Fuhrer was deeply annoyed by the series of triumphs by Owens.“People whose antecedents come from the jungle were primitive, he said with a shrug.“Their physiques were stronger than civilised whites and hence they should be excluded from future Games.”Enough said. Sickening and a foreshadowing of what was to consume the entire planet within three years.Those flawed claims of Aryan glory were to be blown apart by OwensCredit: GettyIn the space of seven days, he won four gold medals, in the 100m, long jump, 200m and 4x100m relayCredit: GettyYet a year before Germany invaded Poland to start that war, on May 14 1938, English football succumbed to the worst of political cowardice.In the build-up to the game, with Neville Chamberlain having opted for Appeasement rather than instigating the inevitable conflict, the Foreign Office sent a letter to the FA reminding them of the “broader political implications”.The night before the match, the FA and Government agreed to tell the players to perform the Nazi salute when the National Anthem was played – with Hitler’s key lieutenant Joseph Goebbels among the 110,000 crowd.That was not passed on to the players until they were in the dressing room before kick-off.While FA secretary Stanley Rous – later to become Fifa President and be the strongest proponent of allowing Apartheid-era South Africa to remain a member – insisted the players had “no objections”, that was angrily dismissed by some of them.Wolves’ Stan Cullis refused to comply and was omitted from the team and Stanley Matthews claimed: “The dressing room erupted. All the players were livid and totally opposed.”Matthews said the “infamous picture” caused him shame through the rest of his life. England won 6-3.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn 1984, four years after his death, the main road leading up to the stadium was renamed Jesse-Owens-Allee in his honour.One stain slightly removed. On Sunday, Southgate and his players can partially erase another. More

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      in Soccer

      Adidas bans Germany fans from buying Euro 2024 shirt number after it is linked to infamous Nazi symbol

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      ADIDAS has banned fans from buying German football kits with the number 44 over apparent confusion with Nazi era SS units.Historian Michael König raised concerns about the design of the German football kit, which he felt was “questionable.”Germany fans banned from buying number 44 kits over Nazi symbolismCredit: AdidasGermany is set to host the Euros this summerHowever Adidas has said that any resemblance to the SS rune was not intentional. Spokesman Oliver Brüggen said: “We as a company are committed to opposing xenophobia, anti-Semitism, violence and hatred in every form.”The SS was a paramilitary force charged with implementing the genocide of millions of Jews across Europe.Adidas told the BBC that the German Football Association (DFB) and its partners were responsible for the numbers on the shirts. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSIn a post on Twitter/X, the DFB said the shirt designs had been submitted to UEFA for review during the design process andthat “none of the parties involved saw any proximity to Nazi symbolism”.The away version of the kit which is pink has also attracted some controversy. The colour is said to represent diversity. Adidas has been responsible for the German kit since the 1950s, but Nike will take over as the manufacturer from 2027.Euro 2024 terror warning to England fans after ISIS Moscow attack and kamikaze drones raise ‘dangers to new level’There are now security fears for fans heading to Germany this summer for the Euros. Most read in FootballGerman Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the Islamist attack in Moscow has raised “dangers to a new level.”Ms Faeser added: “We are pooling the forces of the security authorities even more strongly for the Euros and are preparing for all possible dangers.“This is necessary to protect this major international event in the best possible way.“The security of the tournament is paramount.”England, set to stay at the five-star Weimarer Land Golf Resort and Spa in Blankenhain, will be surrounded by a ring of steel. Author and terrorism expert Neil Doyle said: “Euro 2024 represents a major target for groups looking to mount mass casualty attacks for revenge and global headlines.“The use of drones will be a major concern as they have become a new feature of modern warfare, as seen in Ukraine.“Germany as a location in itself is also attractive as it has backed Ukraine with arms and equipment.” More

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      in Motorsport

      Fleeced by a gigolo, F1 factory romps, secret love children & a cocaine sting… scandalous secrets of supercar dynasties

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      MOST of us can only dream of being part of a supercar dynasty like Lamborghini or Ferrari.But life inside these ultra-rich families is far from simple – as they are haunted by hidden pasts and sordid scandals.
      Flavia Borzone claims to be the lovechild of Tonino Lamborghini – the son of the luxury car firm’s founderCredit: instagram/@flavia_borzone
      A DNA sample was secretly taken from Tonino’s daughter, Elettra Lamborghini
      Just this week, Flavia Borzone, 35, was in court over her claim to be the secret lovechild of Tonino Lamborghini – the son of the luxury car firm’s founder.
      Tonino is suing Flavia after she publicly alleged he had an affair with her mother in the late 1980s.
      In the latest twist to the scandal, it has emerged that Flavia hired private detectives to collect a DNA sample from Tonino’s daughter, Elettra Lamborghini.
      The private detectives snatched a straw, dubbed ‘the straw of a thousand secrets’, that was used by Elettra to drink a coffee.
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      Experts at the University of Ferrara tested the sample and found a DNA match between Elettra – who appeared in the reality show Geordie Shore – and Flavia.
      It is just the latest in a long line of scandals that have rocked the supercar dynasties.
      Bugatti founder’s double tragedy
      Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti suffered a brutal double tragedy in his life.
      His brother Rembrandt, a talented sculptor, took his own life in 1916 after the outbreak of war stopped him from selling his work, which now sells for millions.
      Most read in Motorsport
      Ettore Bugatti’s life was torn apart by the deaths of his son and brotherCredit: Getty
      Ettore’s brother Rembrandt took his own life during WW1Credit: Getty
      Ettore’s son Jean Bugatti died in a crash testing one of his carsCredit: Getty
      The artist was heartbroken when many of the animals he used to base his sculptures on were slaughtered after Germany besieged Antwerp.
      Bugatti suffered another ordeal when his eldest son, Jean, died testing one of his cars. The 30-year-old lost his life when he swerved to avoid a cyclist and crashed.
      BMW heiress fleeced by gigalo
      A gigalo fleeced BMW heiress Susanne Klatten out of £5.9million after meeting her in an Austrian spa.
      He went on to attempt to blackmail Ms Klatten, threatening to release naked photographs of them together if she did not give him more cash.
      Swiss gigalo Helg Sgarbi was jailed for six years in 2009 for his cruel crimes against Ms Klatten and other women.
      Ms Klatten initially handed Sgarbi £5.9million after he told her the Mafia was out for him. But he then took the scam a step further.
      BMW heiress Susanne Klatten was fleeced out of £5.9million by a gigaloCredit: AFP
      Helg Sgarbi was jailed for six years in 2009 for his wicked crimes against Ms Klatten and other womenCredit: Reuters
      Sgarbi threatened to release naked pictures of Ms Klatten which were taken in this Holiday InnCredit: Reuters
      She said: “He asked me to meet him at the Holiday Inn in Munich. When I went there he showed me two photographs, in one of them I was naked and so was he.
      “I could tell they were from a video and I was scared. There was a letter which said he would tell all to the press and my family. He wanted money and I had already given him seven million Euro.
      “He just wanted more money and at that point I decided to go to the police because I realised I was being blackmailed.”
      Ms Klatten’s father, Herbert Quandt, was also engulfed in scandal over his ties to the Nazi party.
      Quandt’s BMW collaborated with the Nazis and employed around 50,000 forced labourers in its arms factories.
      Roughly 80 slave labourers died per month at the plants – and many were executed.
      One of the slave labourers, Takis Mylopoulos, said: “We were treated very badly, we were whipped and had to drink water out of the lavatories.”
      Porsche boss pals with Hitler
      Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the luxury car firm, showing Adolf Hitler his Volkswagen Beetle designCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty
      Porsche was arrested for war crimes as an SS officerCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The man who created Porsche was a devoted Nazi and pal of Adolf Hitler.
      Ferdinand Porsche developed the V-1 flying bomb – which was nicknamed the doodlebug by Brits during the Blitz – and Nazi tanks.
      He also worked closely with Hitler, receiving a contract from the dictator to create a ‘Volkswagen’, meaning a car for the masses.
      The result of this alliance was the Volkswagen Beetle.
      Shamefully, prisoners of were were used as slave labour at the Volkswagen car plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, while Porsche was general manager.
      By 1945, Porsche had been arrested for war crimes as an SS officer and was languishing in a French prison of war camp.
      Porsche was released from custody in 1947 after his family posted bail of one million French francs.
      In 2022, the Austrian city of Linz announced that it planned to rename ‘Porscheweg’ street, which honoured the carmaker.
      A report commissioned by the city senate said: “Porsche played a central role in the NS [National Socialism] war economy and actively promoted the forced labour of prisoners of war and concentration camp inmates.”
      Ferrari lovechild
      Ferrari founder Enzo had a secret lovechild, Piero, with his mistress
      Enzo’s wife refused to let Piero (pictured) use his father’s surname while she was alive
      Enzo Ferrari, who started the supercar company, was known for his wild love life.
      The playboy, who was played by Adam Driver in a biopic last year, bedded factory workers and had a secret lovechild with his mistress Lina Lardi.
      Enzo’s wife Laura was so furious about the affair that she refused to let the lovechild, Peiro, have her husband’s surname while she was alive.
      Enzo continued to visit his widow’s grave every morning after she died in 1978.
      And Piero Ferrari, who is now the vice-chairman of the family firm, was by his father’s bedside when he died.
      Lotus founder’s missing millions
      Lotus boss Colin Chapman was embroiled in scandal over missing taxpayer cash
      A judge said Chapman would have been jailed for at least 10 years had he been in the dockCredit: Getty
      Lotus founder Colin Chapman died before he could be charged over a case that cost the taxpayer millions.
      The British Government invested more than £50million in a scheme to build a sports car in Belfast.
      However, £10million of the cash was not spent on the project, which was the brainchild of Chapman and an American car tycoon called John DeLorean.
      The DeLorean Motor Company filed for bankruptcy in October 1982 – just a few days before DeLorean was arrested in a cocaine trafficking case. Undercover federal agents had filmed him agreeing to bankroll a cocaine smuggling operation.
      He was later acquitted over the cocaine case as he argued police had entrapped him.
      However, the mystery over the missing taxpayer cash sparked an investigation which led to the imprisonment of Lotus Group accountant Fred Bushell.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      It emerged that Bushell had siphoned off £5million for himself.
      Chapman died aged 54 from a heart attack in 1982 but the judge in Bushell’s case said that if he had been in the dock he would have been jailed for at least 10 years. More

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      in Soccer

      BBC bosses accused of ‘pathetic capitulation’ after letting Match of the Day’s Gary Lineker back on air without apology

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      BBC bosses were accused of “pathetic capitulation” last night after letting Gary Lineker back on air without any apology or punishment over his migrant tweet.In an astonishing surrender, Director-general Tim Davie said the star will return to Match of the Day this Saturday.
      BBC bosses have let Gary Lineker back on air without any apology or punishmentCredit: Reuters
      Lineker with footie ace Ian Wright and Alan Shearer on the set of MOTDCredit: BBC
      Director-general Tim Davie said the TV pundit will return to Match of the Day this SaturdayCredit: Ruckas
      And, while Lineker has not said sorry for comparing the language used about Channel migrants to that in Nazi Germany, Mr Davie announced that he personally was sorry for the resulting chaos.
      In a new series of tweets, former Spurs and England striker Lineker seemed unrepentant and thanked his supporters.
      Meanwhile No10 refused to say it has confidence in Mr Davie — and Tory MPs called for the licence fee to now be axed.
      Backbencher Philip Davies piled in: “This pathetic capitulation by the BBC is the start of the end for the licence fee.”
      Read More on Gary Lineker
      Tom Hunt, deputy chair of the Conservative Common Sense Group, told The Sun: “There has been no apology from Lineker for the grossly offensive remarks he made that would have offended millions of people who are forced to make a contribution to his salary.”
      And ex-Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “The issue is that the BBC is the state broadcaster and that it’s funded by a tax. If it weren’t, then we wouldn’t need to worry about its impartiality.”
      Mr Davie sought to package the agreement with Lineker as a compromise, which would bring an end to days of disrupted coverage on BBC sport.
      A new independent review into BBC stars’ use of social media was announced.
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      But it remains unclear how strict any new regulations imposed by the review will be — or even how long that process will take.
      A BBC source said: “This is a short term solution to dampen the flames. Both sides agreed things were getting out of hand.
      “But the problem hasn’t gone away by any means. It’s just been kicked into longer grass
      “Clearly the rules need addressing, tightening and perhaps more strictly enforcing — but that’s all for the independent panel to decide.
      “Whether presenters like Gary choose to agree to the new rules is a different matter.”
      Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter on £1.35million a year, has agreed to abide by existing guidelines and welcomed the review.
      He said: “I am glad we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”
      After the statement was released, Lineker tweeted his thanks to colleagues after a “surreal few days”.
      Pundits, led by Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, refused to appear on Match of the Day while Lineker was suspended.
      Commentators joined in, plunging BBC Sport’s coverage into chaos.
      Lineker added that “however difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away”.
      Mr Davie said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this. The potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance is recognised.
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      “The BBC has a commitment to impartiality and a commitment to freedom of expression. That is a difficult balancing act where people are subject to different contracts and on-air positions, and with different audience and social media profiles.”
      PM Rishi Sunak was “glad” the issue had been resolved and “looked forward to watching Match Of The Day back on our TV screens”.
      Gary Lineker has not said sorry for comparing the language used about Channel migrants to that in Nazi GermanyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Lineker continues to have his say on Twitter after the BBC announced his return More

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      in Soccer

      Gary Lineker set to return to Match Of The Day for FA Cup next week after crunch talks with the BBC over Nazi tweet row

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      GARY Lineker is set to return to Match Of The Day for the FA Cup next week after crunch talks with the BBC over the Nazi tweet row. The 62-year-old pundit refused to address the ongoing row over his inflammatory posts comparing the government’s new Illegal Migration Bill to 1930s Nazi Germany, which saw him taken off air.
      Gary Lineker is likely to return to the BBC in a matter of days, sources sayCredit: LNP
      Lineker has been in crunch talks with his employer over Nazi tweetsCredit: BBC
      The 62-year-old has today refused to say anything on the matterCredit: Getty
      At around 12.30pm today, he was spotted walking his dog outside his home in West London.
      Asked whether he still wanted to work at the Beeb or if he was in talks with the director general about his future, the ex-England star simply stated: “I can’t say anything.”
      But, just hours later it was said he was likely to return to TV in a matter of days – with sources saying BBC boss Tim Davie wants Lineker back on the telly.
      An insider told the Telegraph: “Tim Davie has been clear that he wants to resolve the situation and see the MOTD presenter back on air.
      Read more on Gary Lineker
      “Gary and his representatives have been in talks for a number of days and these are ongoing.”
      Lineker was told to step back from hosting Match Of The Day while bosses try to get him to agree to stop posting political messages online.
      His likening of Tory immigration rhetoric and Nazi Germany sparked outrage in some quarters – with Home Secretary Suella Braverman claiming his comments diminished the tragedy of the Holocaust.
      It was said to break the BBC’s strict impartiality rules which state that staff must “avoid taking sides on political controversies” and “take care when addressing public policy matters”.
      Most read in Football
      BBC pundits and commentators refused to work following the backlash, deciding to support longstanding presenter Lineker.
      It caused a football blackout, with several TV and radio programmes, including the Saturday edition of Match of the Day, Football Focus and Final Score, disrupted or forced off air following a boycott by figures like Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Alex Scott.
      Sunday night’s edition of MOTD2 will air – but without presenters or commentary.
      The Beeb does not have the rights required to use world feed commentary, an issue that saw last night’s 20-minute broadcast go without.
      Commentator Guy Mowbray tweeted: “As yesterday, there will be no ‘normal’ MOTD(2) programme tonight.
      “The scheduled commentary team are in full agreement with our BBC Sport colleagues. We hope that a resolution can be found ASAP.”
      Tonight’s programme will show only highlights of Manchester United vs Southampton, West Ham vs Aston Villa and Fulham vs Arsenal and Newcastle vs Wolves.
      There was also no pre-game chat before this afternoon’s Women’s Super League clash between Chelsea and Manchester United amid the storm.
      It follows several last-minute timetable changes yesterday which resulted in Football Focus and Final Score being scrapped from the BBC One schedule.
      MOTD, which Lineker has hosted for almost 25 years, was cut to just 20 minutes, with no commentary, analysis or interviews.
      It also went out without its famous theme tune – instead broadcasting only short highlight clips of the day’s matches.
      It did, however, see its viewing figures soar by 500,000 to 2.6million – the highest number since November 2022.
      MOT2 will take a similar “reduced” format at 10:30pm after host Mark Chapman decided not to present for BBC Radio 5 Live Sport on Saturday and pundit Jermain Defoe announced he would not appear on the Sunday highlights programme.
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      BBC Radio 5 Live was yesterday forced to cancel its coverage of Saturday’s football after Chapman, 59, and co-presenter Colin Murray, 46, pulled out in support of Lineker.
      It followed similar boycotts from other high-profile names, includingKelly Somers and Jason Mohammad, who stood down in solidarity with Lineker.
      The BBC said it would air only “limited sport programming” over the weekend and was “working hard to resolve the situation”.
      In a statement, a spokesperson said: “We are sorry for these changes which we recognise will be disappointing for BBC sport fans.”
      BBC’s Davie later apologised personally for the disruption to the sport schedule but insisted he will not resign from his role.
      On Saturday, Bargain Hunt aired in place of Football Focus on BBC One at noon, while The Repair Shop ran instead of Final Score at 4.30pm.
      BBC presenter Murray tweeted that 5 Live’s Fighting Talk was not airing “for obvious reasons” in a decision by the entire team.
      Pre-recorded content replaced the live broadcasts, with Kammy & Ben’s Proper Football Podcast aired during Fighting Talk’s slot followed by The Footballer’s Football Podcast, which played on Radio 5 Live when 5 Live Sport would have aired.
      The 606 phone-in show with Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton was also pulled, replaced by a Eurovision podcast.
      Pundit Glenn Murray pulled out of appearing on Football Focus and Final Score on Saturday while fellow former players Dion Dublin and Leon Osman were among those announcing their absence from coverage.
      Mohammad also confirmed he would not be hosting Final Score.
      ‘VERY DIFFICULT DAY’
      On Friday evening, several MOTD commentators shared a joint statement online, announcing they would be stepping down from Saturday’s broadcast.
      The group, including Steve Wilson, Conor McNamara, Robyn Cowen and Steven Wyeth, said they did “not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme” given the current circumstances.
      Ian Dennis, a BBC employee, did cover Leeds against Brighton for 5 Live radio but said it was a “very difficult day”.
      Lineker was taken off air for a tweet which compared the language used to launch a new Government asylum seeker policy tackling evil people traffickers with Nazi Germany.
      The broadcaster said it had “decided” Lineker would take a break from presenting the highlights programme until an “agreed and clear position” on his use of social media had been reached.
      Former BBC director-general Greg Dyke said the corporation had made a “mistake” and “undermined its own credibility” by taking Lineker off air.
      A spokesman for the Professional Footballers’ Association said in a statement on Twitter that it had “been informed that players involved in Saturday’s games will not be asked to participate in interviews with Match Of The Day”.
      I disagree with Gary Lineker on small boats profoundly.Jeremy HuntChancellor
      PM Rishi Sunak said he hopes the free speech row ends “in a timely manner”- but that it was a matter for the BBC, not Government.
      Conservative politicians have lined up to slam Mr Lineker, who is on a taxpayer-funded salary of £1,350,000.
      Jeremy Hunt today said he “profoundly disagrees” with the controversial comments made.
      The Chancellor told Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News: “I disagree with Gary Lineker on small boats profoundly.
      “I personally think that he was wrong to say what he said.”
      MP Simon Clarke echoed his words, telling the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “I disagree very profoundly with what Gary Lineker said.
      “I think the comparisons to 1930s as he’s made are deeply inappropriate and actually very tasteless.”
      Asked why it matters what a sports presenter says, he replied: “Mr Lineker has a huge reach and the reality is that he is obviously operating on a publicly-funded broadcaster, he is someone whose platform largely derives from his role at the BBC, he’s saying things which are partisan and I think which are also deeply unfair.”
      ‘TASTELESS TWEET’
      He called the situation a “mess” and said the BBC needs to resolve “ambiguity” in its guidelines as Lineker is freelance a sports presenter, not a political journalist.
      Mr Clarke continued: “I don’t like cancel culture of any kind, I don’t like to see people being taken off air.”
      Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer also waded into the row, saying: “The BBC has a 10-point plan in relation to impartiality.
      “It is absolutely important that it maintains impartiality so that the public retains trust in it.”
      In the Commons, DUP MP Gregory Campbell called for “multimillionaire lefty Lineker” to have his pay docked.
      And Red Wall MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said: “Whilst the elderly lost their free licence, the BBC have now given Gary Lineker a different sort of free license – one that allows him to say what he wants, when he wants and without fear of sanction.
      “Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but as a public service broadcaster you would expect the BBC to hold him to the same standards they would expect from other members of their staff, who would not get away with such appalling comparisons.”
      The Illegal Migration Bill bans migrants who arrive on small boats from ever settling in Britain.
      Read More on The Sun
      The legislation will see migrants swiftly detained and removed to either their country of origin or a safe third state within 28 days.
      Ms Braverman has repeatedly insisted the plan does not break the law, and said the country’s top legal minds have worked day and night to ensure it’s feasible.
      There was no pre-game chat as Chelsea took on Manchester United in WSL todayCredit: Getty

      Alex Scott was one of the many BBC pundits and commentators who backed Lineker amid the stormCredit: Getty More

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      in Boxing

      KSI announces new opponent after backlash over rival’s ‘racist’ tattoo with YouTuber to fight TWICE in one night

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      YOUTUBE boxing star KSI has been forced to announce a new fight – amid backlash his old opponent has “racist” tattoos.KSI – real name Olajide William Olatunji – returns to the ring after three years out on August 27.
      KSI makes his boxing return on August 27Credit: Rex
      And he raised eyebrows after announcing he will face both rapper Swarmz and Bulgarian boxer Ivan Nikolov on the same night.
      But Nikolov, 43, has been seen to have neo-Nazi tattoos, causing fan fury.
      A “white power” tattoo is seen on his stomach and on his left forearm, Nikolov has a tattoo of the words “Blood & Honour”.
      That is the name of a neo-Nazi skinhead group formed in England in the 1980s.
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      Also in between the words is a triskele symbol, a three-pointed swastika which was the logo for the group.
      Nikolov also has a Schutzstaffel logo on his right arm, which was the police and military force of the Nazi Party, who pledged an oath of loyalty to Germany’s ex-dictator Adolf Hitler.
      His neo-Nazi tattoos were pointed out by one of his previous opponents, Daniel Blenda Dos Santos, who slammed the boxer after winning their fight in April.
      Dos Santos said: “When I saw his tattoos, some of them racist in nature, I wanted to hurt him.”
      KSI, 28, responded to the allegations on his YouTube channel and confirmed Nikolov was replaced due to his tattoos.
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      He said: “He’s a white supremacist
      “Ivan isn’t my opponent anymore. He has been removed.
      “The matchmaker also got fired for allowing this to happen in the first place. But yes, my new opponent is Luis Alcarez Pineda.”
      KSI will instead face Mexican pro boxer Luis Alcaraz Pineda, who has a 2-5 record. 
      KSI last fought in 2019, beating Logan Paul, 27, in a rematch of their exhibition bout which ended in a draw a year before.
      The Londoner had beaten Joe Weller, 26, in a similar bout in 2018, his first boxing match.
      Logan Paul was beaten by KSI in their 2019 rematchCredit: Getty More