Gary Lineker sets Micah Richards straight after Euros pundit worried about BBC telling off

Gary lineker had to reassure Micah Richards that he wouldn’t receive a scolding from the BBC after fearing he was close to breaking ‘broadcasting’s golden rule’. Richards almost name-dropped another broadcaster on BBC One while covering a Euro 2024 fixture on Monday night.

The former Manchester City defender appeared as a pundit alongside Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Jose Fonte for Portugal’s last-16 penalty shootout win over Slovenia. But when analysing Portugal’s dismal performance at half-time, he mentioned that he was well-acquainted with their manager Roberto Martinez and his tactical knowledge.

That sparked confusion as Lineker couldn’t recall when Richards had been coached by Martinez, leading to Richards awkwardly admitting his punditry role on “another broadcaster”. Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards elaborated on his hesitation to mention his CBS gig on the BBC, believing it would have angered the broadcaster’s chiefs.

That prompted an amused response from Lineker and Shearer, who quickly put his concerns to rest. “I said on BBC that I worked with him [Martinez]” Richards recalled. “I didn’t want to name CBS on BBC.”

Lineker replied: “I don’t know why, that would have been fine. It’s an American broadcaster, Micah. Even if you’re working on Sky with him, that would’ve been fine as well. That’s not a BBC thing [to punish Richards]. Trust me.”

The presenter went on to say: “When you said ‘I worked with him’, I was thinking ‘Christ, which club did Micah work with him for?'” while Shearer added: “You can say what you want man, you’re the biggest pundit now on the BBC!”

Along with his regular role on BBC’s Match of the Day, Richards is also known for his energy and humour on CBS Sports Golazo’s coverage of Champions League nights as well as his contributions to Sky Sports.

The trio’s conversation then turned to Martinez’s management of Cristiano Ronaldo during the match against Slovenia, where Ronaldo made headlines for the wrong reasons. The 39-year-old captain wasted several free-kicks, had a penalty saved in extra time and broke down in tears before eventually scoring from the spot during the shootout.

Shearer weighed in: “I said before a ball was kicked that if Portugal are to go deep into the tournament it all depends on how Martinez handles Ronaldo. He’s played every game. That game summed it up that, that’s how it’s going to be for Portugal, it has to be about Ronaldo.

“He’s 39-years-old. Clearly, he’s not as good as he was or as sharp in the box. He demands to play every game and take every free-kick. Then the penalty miss and he burst into tears. It was hysterical.”

Lineker added: “I think Martinez has handled him really well. You either tell Ronaldo you’re completely in or completely out. If he took him off in that game, that would’ve caused uproar in the camp. It’s a delicate issue.”