A former Premier League star has issued an apology after he made a Holocaust remark live on BBC while describing sacked Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy’s nightmare eight-game tenure
BBC Sport presenter Jason Mohammad issued a live apology to Final Score viewers on Saturday afternoon after Shay Given referred to Wilfried Nancy’s Celtic tenure as an ‘absolute Holocaust’.
Given, a regular pundit for the BBC, made the remarks on the results show while discussing Nancy’s brief time at Celtic. The 48-year-old French manager was sacked after just eight games in charge, winning only twice.
His dismissal came just days after the 3-1 defeat at home against Rangers, which saw the Gers move level on points with their Old Firm rivals in the SPFL table. “Nancy was terrible from start to finish, I don’t think they should have ended Martin’s [O’Neill’s] short tenure at the start,” he commented about the Frenchman, who was sacked by the Scottish giants after just 33 days.
“It was the week leading up to the Hearts game, top of the league clash, then Roma in the Europa League and St Mirren in the League Cup final, I thought Martin should have been given that week at least.
“Nancy took over that week and had an absolute Holocaust in that week and it was just a nightmare from then on. The defeats and Rangers last weekend was the final straw, final nail in the coffin.”
As Given’s comments started to circulate online, the show’s host, Mohammed, offered an apology towards the end of the programme, stating: “A little earlier you may have heard some inappropriate language so we would like to apologise for any offence caused.”
Later in the evening, Given himself apologised via social media, expressing his ‘mortification’ at the upset he had caused before announcing that he had donated his appearance fee for the show to the Holocaust Educational Trust.
He wrote: “On live television this afternoon, I used a word that I didn’t fully understand meaning of, and certainly won’t ever use again.
“We all have areas of ignorance in our knowledge, and I hope to use this as an opportunity to become better educated going forward.
“I am genuinely mortified and apologise unreservedly to everyone offended, and will be donating my fee from today’s show to the Holocaust Educational Trust.”
Celtic beat Dundee United 4-0 on Saturday with O’Neill back in the dugout for the rest of the season. The win saw them climb above Rangers in the table on goal difference and move just three points behind leaders Hearts ahead of both teams playing on Sunday.