New Match of the Day hosts set out plans for new era after Gary Lineker exit

We’re one third of the way into BBC Sport’s Match of the Day panel before any of the new hosts mentions Gary Lineker. Even then it’s only a brief nod.

Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman are sharing presenting duties this season after Lineker’s much-publicised exit. And, speaking at the Beeb’s start-of-season event in London, they’re primed to look forward while not forgetting what has made the show great.

“It's a team effort,” Chapman says. “All three of us have agreed it's not going to be about us - which might not be what the bosses want to hear.

“We've all worked in sport and it's about the pundits first and foremost, getting the best out of the pundits, and that's the most important thing for us. But this, for me, is a show that is thriving. It's a show that we hope to continue doing what's been done so far.”

All three hosts are coming at the project with different experiences, with Chapman a regular in the format after regularly hosting Match of the Day 2 in recent seasons (the Sunday show will drop the ‘2’ this term, bringing it on level footing with the Saturday programme and midweek Champions League coverage). Cates’ experience is more in the live football realm through her Sky Sports work, while Logan - who anchored The BBC's coverage of the Euro 2025 final as well as stepping in on MOTD in the past - is somewhere in the middle.

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There’s a sense that an ability to continue doing other work in sport was key for all three, ensuring none are known just for their work on the highlights show. And that breadth of experience - speaking to footballers in different contexts and speaking to athletes from other sports - will only strengthen the quality of their interactions with the rotating team of pundits on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday nights while allowing them to focus on bringing something unique to viewers.

“It’s also about making sure we're talking about what people are interested in,” Cates says. “And I think that's down to us to not get caught up in being too telly and not get caught up in being too driven by that, but actually to be listening to what fans are saying. It's never been easier to find out than it is now.”

All three of the new presenters have plenty of experience presenting high-profile sport,from live Premier League matches to the Olympic Games, but there's still something different about Match of the Day. "It's great fun, it's a great privilege, and you're working with great people and you want to be able to relax as the audience hopefully feels at home, so they can sit back and enjoy it," Logan says.

"So when that music plays there's always a frisson of excitement, a few little butterflies, and I think you need that for a performance. And that's hopefully going to result in some fantastic shows this season and people will enjoy them."

This might be why, even in a period where most of us will know the results long before 10.30 in the evening - and some of us will have already seen the goals - we will still tune in. As Logan herself puts it, the show provides a "full stop" on the day's action, and it's still where so many people will come for the final word.

The challenge now is ensuring they want to hear that word from a new team of presenters after the familiarity Lineker built up over a quarter of a century. Match of the Day returns this evening on this opening weekend of the Premier League season, with Chapman in the hotseat on Saturday and Logan on Sunday.

The BBC will have highlights available online earlier than ever before this season, with fans able to watch goals online before Match of the Day airs. And this allows whoever is in the chair on any given Saturday to remember what their focus needs to be.

“Since the match of the day started, it's been about the highlights, it's about seeing what's happened,” Cates acknowledges. "Really we're just there to help.”

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