Mark Chapman ‘will be first of new trio to host Match of the Day’

Mark Chapman will present the BBC’s first Match Of The Day Saturday highlights programme this weekend, the PA news agency understands.

The 51-year-old is part of a three-person presenting line-up alongside Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, who will work on rotation this season following the departure of former lead presenter Gary Lineker.

PA understands Chapman will be the first of the trio to host the flagship Saturday night show.

It is understood Cates will host a programme on Wednesday consisting of Uefa Super Cup highlights and a look-ahead to the new Premier League season, which begins on Friday night, while Logan will host Match Of The Day’s Sunday night programme this week.

The BBC announced on January 15 that Cates, Chapman and Logan would become the presenting team following weeks of speculation about who would take over from Lineker after he said last year that he was stepping down.

The 64-year-old had long intended the final Match Of The Day of last season, on May 26, would be the last time he presented the highlights programme, but was planning to stay on to front the BBC’s live coverage of the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup.

However, earlier in the month however he announced he was bringing forward his departure following a social media row in which he shared a post about Zionism featuring a depiction of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic trope.

Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter and Match Of The Day host since 1999, apologised unreservedly for the post but said it was “best for all concerned” if he left completely.

The Leicester-born former England football captain also runs Goalhanger Podcasts which produces podcasts such as The Rest Is Football, The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest