Gabby Logan has fired back at Gary Lineker after the former Match of the Day presenter taunted his ex-bosses over their coverage of the World Cup from a “green box in Salford.” Lineker previously expressed no regrets about missing out on anchoring the BBC’s coverage of the tournament, saying: “I was originally going to do it for the BBC this summer, but that didn’t transpire. And I would have been in Salford in a green box, and now I’m going to be in New York City overlooking Times Square with lots of great guests.” Responding to her former colleague’s comments, Logan said:
Gabby Logan Defends BBC’s World Cup Coverage Model
“We did the Women’s Euros – last Euros – like this where we were in the studio in Salford and then we went out for the latter stages. That’s a very expensive cost to take out a lot of people to major tournaments. So we have to think about that. The belt is being tightened all the time, as you know, with the licence fee. So there’s lots of good reasons why we do that. And I think our coverage has been exceptional in those tournaments and award-winning in the case of last week’s Baftas, so I don’t think it’s harmed our coverage to not be there for the whole tournament.”
BBC’s Star-Studded Punditry Team
The BBC has assembled a large roster of talent for its World Cup coverage despite the Salford-based approach. Former England internationals Wayne Rooney, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Joe Hart, Paul Robinson, Steph Houghton, Ellen White and Danny Murphy will all feature as part of the punditry team. Scotland’s participation in their first World Cup since 1998 will be reflected in the lineup, with Scott Brown, Rachel Corsie and James McFadden providing analysis. International football figures including Olivier Giroud, Gael Clichy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Benni McCarthy and Lucas Leiva have also been signed up by the corporation. Former Tottenham and Brentford manager Thomas Frank and ex-Wales captain Ashley Williams complete the panel.
ITV Unveils Its Own Impressive Lineup
Their competitors, ITV, revealed its star-studded punditry squad for this summer’s World Cup, and it’s packed with familiar faces. Three former Manchester United players will be at the heart of the coverage, with Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Juan Mata all confirmed for the tournament in North America. They’ll be joined by Arsenal legends Patrick Vieira and Ian Wright, along with former Tottenham and Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou and current US women’s team boss Emma Hayes.
Notable Absences from ITV’s World Cup Team
However, the new line-up comes with some notable absences. Eni Aluko, who featured on ITV’s coverage at the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2024 and last summer’s women’s Euros in Switzerland, hasn’t made the cut. Aluko had previously expressed frustration at being passed over for the final between England and Spain, which Wright worked on. Also missing from this year’s team are Graeme Souness, Joe Cole, Nigel De Jong, Nadia Nadim and Hal Robson-Kanu, all of whom appeared during the Qatar tournament in 2022. #GabbyLogan #GaryLineker #BBCSport #ITVSport #WorldCupCoverage #FootballPundits #SalfordStudio #SportsBroadcasting #LicenceFee #WomensEuros
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