Gary Lineker is set to take on a new role as team manager in the newly-launched Baller League following his upcoming departure from Match of the Day at the end of the season.
The former England striker will lead one of 12 teams in an innovative six-a-side football competition that is expanding to England after finding success in Germany.
The tournament, which combines traditional football with new rules, has already proven popular abroad, attracting an average of three million spectators per matchday.
Baller League features 12 teams of 12 players each, with matches played over two 15-minute halves in an indoor environment.
A new era of football has arrived.
Baller League UK and Baller League USA – coming 2025. pic.twitter.com/FZK7i5f8Tp
— BallerLeague (@BallerLeagueUK) November 25, 2024
The competition introduces innovative rules designed to create excitement, including three-against-three formats and double-point goals scored from behind the offside line.
Players will need to adapt to changing rules during each half of play, with unique features such as one-on-one situations starting from behind the halfway line where goalkeepers cannot use their hands.
Lineker will be joined by fellow Match of the Day presenters Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, who will also take coaching positions in the league.
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Several football legends have signed on as team managers, including former Chelsea captain John Terry, Arsenal icons Jens Lehmann, Robert Pires, and Freddie Ljungberg, as well as Real Madrid star Luis Figo.
Social media personality KSI has been appointed as president of the UK League, while fellow content creator IShowSpeed will head the US version.
The competition will be streamed live on Twitch, aiming to replicate its German success where it attracts millions of viewers.
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Social media star Chunkz will host the weekly livestreams when the tournament begins in March 2024.
The competition will run until May, when a champion will be crowned.
Lineker’s team assignment remains unconfirmed, with player selection still pending through upcoming trials in London and Manchester.
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The league is actively seeking players through trials across London and Manchester and is open to former academy players, street footballers, free agents, futsal players, and retired professionals.
KSI, as UK president of Baller League, expressed his enthusiasm for the project and says he has ‘;high hopes’ for the future – especially with so many big names involved.
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“I have high hopes for what this league can bring to the sport,” he said.
“We’re bringing a different style to football, a different energy to the normal and showing a different level of entertainment to the sport. Very exciting times ahead!”
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