Lineker to 'step back' from BBC presenting after migration row

LONDON (Reuters) - Gary Lineker, the face of the BBC's soccer coverage, will step back from presenting its flagship programme following a row over his criticism of the government's migration policy, the corporation said on Friday.

Lineker, a former England soccer captain, has recently likened the government's language on asylum seekers to that used by Germany in the 1930s.

The comments sparked uproar among Conservative politicians who said they were not acceptable.

A presenter on the corporation's news channel read out a statement, saying the BBC had been in discussions with Lineker and his team in recent days and decided that he would step back from presenting Match of the Day "until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media".

Lineker has hosted "Match of the Day" for more than 20 years and the charismatic 62-year-old has never been afraid to voice his opinions about political issues.