John Barnes has hit out at BBC bosses, insisting they 'can't have it both ways' amid their row with Match of the Day host, Gary Lineker.
Numerous celebrities, pundits and presenters have spoken out in support of Lineker after he was taken off air by the BBC last week.
The axe came after the Match of the Day host became embroiled in a debate over impartiality when he compared the language used to launch a new UK Government asylum policy to Germany in the 1930s.
Lineker said in a post on Twitter earlier this week: "There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."
After the BBC took Gary off air, several fellow pundits announced that they would boycott Match of the Day in response, with the show airing on Saturday night without any presenters or pundits.
The BBC have since apologised for the disruption, with Director-General Tim Davie confirming that Gary will be returning to present on Saturday.
Former footballer John Barnes was one of many people supporting Gary, and appearing on Good Morning Britain on Monday, the former football star, 59, shared his thoughts on the controversial row.
Hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls spoke about Lineker and whether the BBC was right to remove him from Match of the Day.
John, who is friends with the football pundit, criticised the broadcaster, telling the hosts 'the BBC can't have it both ways'.
"It depends on what the rules are," John began. "I am sure from Sky's perspective they're allowed to do whatever they want to do," he added.
"However, this impartiality rule that the BBC are pretending to have doesn't really happen. Because the BBC encouraged Gary in Qatar in the World Cup to be absolutely impartial.
"So where do the impartiality rules lie? You can criticise people in other countries and other religions, but you can't do that in this country. So this impartiality rule for me does not make any sense whatsoever."
He continued: "I was critical of Gary and the BBC for not being impartial in Qatar, and now all of the sudden because he's criticising this country, we're saying that it's impartiality rules."
Addressing the BBC, John added: "You can't have it both ways."
John went on to agree with Gary's tweet, where he compared the government's migrant policy to the rhetoric of Nazi Germany.
