BBC football pundit apologises for saying manager's poor stint was an 'absolute Holocaust'

Given apologised in a statement he posted on social media.

He said: "On live television this afternoon, I used a word that I didn’t fully understand the 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 Education Trust."

Fiona Sharpe, spokesperson for Labour Against Antisemitism, said on X: “It’s hard to imagine that Shay Given is so poorly educated that he is unaware of the significance of the word Holocaust.

"It is however, easier to understand how, over the last two years, the Holocaust has become devalued and minimised. The systematic slaughter of six million Jews reduced to casual football commentary.

"Antisemitism training would be more useful than a donation.”

In 2021, then-Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton apologised for using the word Holocaust to discuss his side's performance against Newport County.

Barton was criticised by several Jewish groups after, leading him to say: "Clearly no offence was meant, but some people have rightly pointed out to me the use of the analogy was not correct.”