“I went ‘oh you fu***ng idiot’” - Gary Lineker apologizes to Frank Lampard for savage balding jibe
Gary Lineker has apologized to Frank Lampard for a savage balding jibe which took place as the two former players worked as BBC pundits during the EUROs. The duo were covering Germany's match against Hungary (June 19) with England legend Alex Scott and Brentford manager Thomas Frank.
Germany were easily the better side on the day, as they saw off Hungary with a 2-0 win and cemented their spot in the knockout stages with a game to spare. Young talent Jamal Musiala (22') and experienced midfielder Ilkay Gundogan (67') both put their names on the scoresheet, while Die Roten kept defensive solidity at the back.
However, while commenting about the happy Germans in the fan park celebrating the goals near the presenters, Lineker took a jibe at Frank Lampard. Lineker was making a joke about the fans being able to see the back of the presenters' heads, but it ended up turning into a jibe, as he directed it at Lampard, who has a bald spot.
The ex-Barcelona footballer explained the jibe and apologized during an episode of The Rest is Football podcast with Micah Richards. He said (via HLTCO):
"I got myself in a bit of a pickle anyway with Frank Lampard. We were at the end of the game, they showed one of Germany's goals, then they cut to the celebrations of fans in the fan park. I said, 'that was behind us and we could see them if it wasn't for the big screen - but they've got to watch the game and otherwise, they'd all be looking at the back of our heads.'
"I meant it about all of us. I just said, 'We don't really want anyone looking at the back of our heads', or... 'You don't want anyone looking at the back of your head, do you Frank?'
Lineker continued:
"Obviously, Frank is slightly thinning, and I am slightly thinning in my old age. It came out a bit wrong. Frank does that thing when he smiles and then suddenly doesn't smile... Frank's great fun and won't mind but I must admit, when I got back to the hotel and saw it on social media I went, "oh you f***ing idiot." I will apologise tomorrow because it wasn't deliberate."
Frank Lampard's poor managerial record
It has not been an easy task for Frank Lampard to continue his career in football with the success he enjoyed as a player at Stamford Bridge. After spending a year at Derby County, where he won 24 games as a manager, he returned to Chelsea with much fanfare.
However, the excitement did not last very long. Getting just 44 wins in 84 games saw him sacked before the end of January 2021, as he spent a year and a half in the dugout. Lampard tried his hand again at management with Everton, but 12 wins in 44 games saw him sacked within a year.
He did return to Chelsea as a caretaker, but it did not get any better, as he won a single game in 11 matches. Since May 2023, he has not found another job as a manager.