No verdict in Lineker case

The Gary Lineker libel trial ended in stalemate today.

The jury failed to reach a verdict over an article he wrote on a transfer deal which he said shamed the game.

Liverpool player Harry Kewell had sued the Match Of The Day presenter saying he felt "hurt and humiliated".

In the article Lineker criticised Kewell and his agent Bernie Mandic for the amount of money made in the sale of the player from Leeds United to Liverpool.

Kewell must now decide whether to apply for a second-trial with a new jury. Lineker left court with a grin predicting: "It looks like it might go to a replay

... but that's football."

Earlier the judge had told the jury he could accept a verdict with which at least 10 of them agreed.

What the jury did not know was that he had also asked the legal teams on both sides whether they would accept a verdict with which only seven jurors agreed, as is permitted in libel trials.

Lineker ' s counseluns el Heather Rogers said she would but Kewell's representative Andrew Monson refused. Legal sources say this clearly indicates both sides believed the jury was more in favour of Lineker than Kewell when the trial was abandoned.

If there is no second trial both sides will have to share the legal costs of the hearing estimated at around £200,000.

Kewell sued over comments about his £5 million transfer in Lineker's column in the Sunday Telegraph in July 2003.

The court heard that Mr Mandic was paid £2 million by Leeds on top of receiving five per cent of Kewell's £13.5 million contract. Mr Mandic also worked as a "freelance consultant" for his brother Nick's company which was paid £1 million by Liverpool for being the " intermediary" in the deal.

Lineker wrote that Kewell "needed his head examined" to let his agent make such a profit at his expense.

He described Mr Mandic and other agents as "using unintelligent sportsmen for their own gain" and added that it was "nothing short of disgraceful that FIFA should allow it to happen".