Gary Lineker has issued an apology to Frank Lampard two years after an unintentional jibe about the Coventry City manager's receding hairline during BBC's Euro 2024 coverage went viral. The incident occurred when Lineker, presenting the BBC's coverage from Berlin, made a remark about fans being able to see the backs of their heads, which was interpreted as a dig at Lampard's thinning hair.
Lineker, now 65, finally made amends with Lampard on his podcast, The Rest is Football, which has recently partnered with Netflix. The apology came as Lampard joined the show alongside Joe Cole and Alan Shearer to discuss the World Cup.
During the podcast, Lineker said: "It's starting to feel like a World Cup is taking place, joining us Frank Lampard and Joe Cole alongside Alan Shearer. Good thing those fans are down on street level otherwise they'd be looking at the back of our heads, Frank..."
Lampard responded: "Have you gone there already?" Lineker then clarified: "For those who don't know, two years ago, the last time I saw you was on your final thing, we had a camera behind us and it showed behind us. I was concerned that I'm thinning a little bit on the top. I was saying, 'we don't really want that shot do, we?' and you (Frank Lampard) were next to me. You did that thing where you were smiling and went serious. I owe you an apology. It's taken me two years to do it."
Lampard, who was joined by former Chelsea team-mate Joe Cole and Alan Shearer in New York, while Micah Richards appeared via live stream from the UK, responded: "You've sat me between Joe and Alan, I thought that was your version of an apology. I'm fine, my day job means they're looking at the back of my head so they let me know all the time, don't worry."
The incident became extensively circulated online, and Lineker had previously acknowledged it during The Rest is Football's Euros coverage, saying: "I got myself in a bit of a pickle anyway, a little bit, with Frank Lampard. It's gone a little bit viral, I feel bad. I feel bad. We were at the end of the game, they showed one of Germany's goals then they cut to the celebration of the fans, in the fan park, and I said, 'that's behind us'. We could actually see them if it wasn't for the big screen then they've got to watch the game on that screen otherwise, they'd all be looking at the back of our heads.
"I meant it about all of us, and I said, 'we don't really want anyone looking at your head do you, Frank?' Obviously Frank's slightly thinning and I'm slightly thinning in my old age a bit. I meant it about everyone, when it came out, it came out a big wrong. You know Frank does that thing where he smiles and doesn't smile, Frank's great fun and I must admit when I got back to the hotel and I saw it on social media, I went, 'oh you f****** idiot. I feel really bad. I haven't seen him since I saw it went viral."
Two years after the incident, Lampard also revealed how Lineker contacted him with his condolences following Coventry's loss in the Championship play-off semi-finals last season, which helped soften the disappointment. Almost 12 months afterwards, he guided the Sky Blues back to the Premier League after securing the league title, ending their 25-year exile from the top division.
