Matt Le Tissier believes that his dismissal from Soccer Saturday by Sky was a result of their emphasis on “diversity and inclusion” and his refusal to wear a Black Lives Matter badge on air. The former Premier League star, who had been with the broadcaster for 15 years, was let go in August 2020. While Le Tissier previously wore a BLM badge on Sky shows, he stated that he could not support the movement’s goals of defunding the police and ending capitalism. He attracted attention for his controversial views on the Covid-19 pandemic and his sharing of conspiracy theories about the war in Ukraine on social media.
During an interview on William Hill’s Up Front with Simon Jordan show, Le Tissier claimed that his outspoken opinions were the reason behind his departure from Sky. He attributed the changes to Comcast’s acquisition of Sky, stating that it immediately shifted towards diversity and inclusion. Le Tissier stated that his views on Black Lives Matter and his refusal to wear the badge did not sit well with the network. On the show, he explained why he did not wish to wear a BLM badge, stating that he believed it would not change the minds of the small minority of racists in the country. He expressed his belief that the majority of people in the UK are good and do not judge based on skin color, and that there has been progress in this regard over the generations. However, Le Tissier acknowledged that this positive perspective was not well-received.
Le Tissier also claimed that his dismissal was influenced by his engagement in spreading Covid-19 conspiracy theories on Twitter. Despite losing his job, he stated that he has no regrets and feels freer not having to conform to any predetermined line of thought. However, he did express his fondness for working with his former colleagues on Soccer Saturday.
Le Tissier also mentioned being “cancelled” from a couple of after-dinner speeches due to his reputation as a conspiracy theorist, which he found disheartening as he only focused on football and his media career during these speeches. He defended his retweet of a post that questioned the media’s coverage of the war in Ukraine, explaining that he wanted to highlight the presence of propaganda during times of war. He later apologized for the tweet and deleted it.
Le Tissier had a successful career as a Premier League player with Southampton, appearing in 270 games and scoring 100 goals.
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