- Lineker has never cheered on Real Madrid due to his allegiance to Barcelona
- However, he will cheer them on against Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund
- Sunday league, grassroots, pub football… how Pep’s influence has trickled down the pyramid – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Gary Lineker has revealed that he will surprisingly cheer on Real Madrid in their Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund.
The Match of the Day host has never cheered on the Spanish giants before due to his allegiance to Barcelona – who he played for between 1986 and 1989.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are heavy favourites as they go for their 15th Champions League trophy at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
On Friday, Lineker revealed on X that it will be the ‘first time’ in his life that he will be cheering on Real Madrid.
Lineker made the comment in response to news of which company that Borussia Dortmund have taken on as a sponsor.
Gary Lineker has revealed he will be supporting Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund
Madrid will go for their 15th Champions League trophy when they play at Wembley tonight
Lineker has sided with Madrid after news that Borussia Dortmund have signed a three-year deal with weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall to become a sponsor
Lineker’s comment was in response to a story from the Athletic confirming the news
The German outfit announced a three-year deal with weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall.
While the logo of the company will be displayed on Dortmund’s licensed products ahead of the club’s Champions League final, they will not appear on shirts.
The German club say the agreement will see Rheinmetall gain ‘the use of wide-reaching advertising space, marketing rights and event and hospitality arrangements in the stadium and on the club grounds’.
Dortmund chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke said in a statement: ‘Security and defense are fundamental cornerstones of our democracy.
‘That’s why we believe it is the right decision to focus very intensively on how we protect these cornerstones.
‘Especially today, when we experience every day how freedom in Europe must be defended. We should deal with this new normality. We are looking forward to the partnership with Rheinmetall and, as Borussia Dortmund, we are consciously opening ourselves up to a discourse.’
Lineker is not the only person to have fumed with the news of Dortmund’s news sponsor.
The German Peace Society – a group whose managing director Michael Schulze von Glasser is a Dortmund fan – has demanded that the club terminate the agreement.
Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke said that ‘security and defense are fundamental cornerstones of our democracy’ in a statement on the news (a technician at a Rheinmetall factory pictured)
Lineker has never cheered on Real Madrid as he played for Barcelona between 1986 and 1989
As per the Athletic, he said: ‘I am very shocked. I would never have expected that BVB would even consider entering into a partnership with an arms company.
He added he was offended both ‘as a Dortmund fan and peace activist’.
Dortmund will be aiming for their second Champions League triumph when they play Real Madrid tonight.
