English sports broadcaster and former professional footballer, Gary Lineker has won another social media clash with the BBC, prompting the corporation to delete a post about Wayne Rooney following criticism from the Match of the Day presenter.
The BBC Sport account shared an image of Rooney in a flat cap with the caption, “By order of the Peaky Blinders, Wayne Rooney has been sacked by Birmingham City,” drawing immediate backlash, including a request for deletion from Lineker who replied: “Delete this.” The post was removed shortly after.
Rooney, who expressed the need for time to recover from his dismissal at St Andrews, managed only two wins in 15 games since his controversial appointment in October.
Despite supporters calling for his removal and a 3-0 defeat at Leeds on New Year’s Day, Rooney felt he was not given sufficient time for the necessary changes. Birmingham City confirmed the departure of Rooney and first-team coach Carl Robinson in a statement, citing unmet expectations.
In response, Rooney announced a break from football, stating, “Football is a results business – and I recognize they have not been at the level I wanted them to be. However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires, and I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed. Personally, it will take me some time to get over this setback.”
Rooney, who managed at Derby County and MLS side DC United, plans to spend time with his family before preparing for the next managerial opportunity in his career.
