'Pick on the little guy!' - England legend Gary Lineker reacts to Micah Richards 'smashing' Mark Pougatch during BBC vs ITV game that had crazy 16-14 scoreline

While taking in a break from Euro 2024 duties, pundits from the BBC and ITV faced off in a friendly five-a-side football match in Berlin. Despite the friendly label, the match was intensely competitive, featuring an array of football legends and top presenters from both broadcasting giants.

ITV's formidable team included Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Gaizka Mendieta, Eni Aluko, and Jill Scott. The squad also included presenter Mark Pougatch and several behind-the-scenes crew members. Meanwhile, the BBC team boasted stars like Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand, Izzy Christiansen, and French journalist Julien Laurens.

The match, played on a pitch close to their TV studios, was a closely fought contest with ITV emerging victorious with a 16-14 scoreline. However, the highlight of the game was not just the crazy goalmouth action but the interactions and antics of the players on the pitch.

Despite being a friendly, Richards, the former Manchester City defender, did not shy away from physical challenges. During the game, he admitted to a heavy tackle on ITV's Pougatch, which drew a humorous rebuke from his BBC colleague, Gary Lineker, who accused him of "picking on the little guy."

"I smashed Pougatch," Richards confessed on the The Rest is Footballpodcast. "I came out my box and it was a 60/40 to him. I thought, 'I need to leave one on him.' I went right through him!"

However, Lineker chose to stay away from the pitch.

"I have not played since the day I retired, except for one game after I retired, which was a month later in Gordon Banks' testimonial," Lineker explained. "You retire for a reason; you retire because you can't do it anymore, so why do you want to go and be c**p?"

Despite being on the receiving end of a crunching tackle from Richards, Pougatch had his moment of individual brilliance as he scored a remarkable goal past Ferdinand. The TV presenter let the ball roll across his body before powering it past a diving Ferdinand, showcasing unexpected footballing flair that helped him receive applause from Keane and Co.

The pundits and presenters will be back in their respective studios behind their microphones on Tuesday evening when Spain take on France in a titanic Euro 2024 semi-final at Allianz Arena in Munich.