The BBC has warned its football pundits to be careful about their language following Phil Neville’s comments during Arsenal’s fourth round FA Cup tie against Brighton.
Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky executed a flawless pass without looking in the direction of the recipient, which prompted Neville to comment that he would "two-foot" anyone who had done the same as the Czech midfielder in training.
“If that was a training session and somebody did that I'd be first over there and I'd probably look to two-foot him or take him out of the game”, Neville was heard as saying on-air.
“If somebody did that in training to me, winding me up, I would be straight in there. I'd smash them.”
Following complaints from the viewers with regards to Neville’s comments, BBC Sport released a statement, carried by ITV, that confirmed the organisation will remind their pundits to watch their language more carefully in the future.
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“This comment was not meant to offend in any way, but on reflection, Phil acknowledges that the language he used was unfortunate.
“That said, [presenter] Mark Chapman did immediately challenge him and the tone of the discussion was light-hearted enough to suggest that the panel were not condoning any kind of violence or setting an example to a younger audience.
“BBC Sport will, however, remind the team to take extra care during discussions during our live programmes.”
Rosicky gave a masterclass in midfield play which included a spectacular goal and an assist in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Brighton that saw Arsene Wenger’s side qualify for the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Czech midfielder has been widely praised for his fine form in the current campaign as the Gunners push for a top four finish and a trophy.
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